


Moneta - The Gentleman Thief

by Kamisa



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Dimension Travel, Feelings Realization, M/M, loopzoop, translation from Polish so sorry for the language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamisa/pseuds/Kamisa
Summary: Zenigata's heart stopped for a moment. He was afraid of what he would hear. Is Lupin still somewhere under the rubble? Or maybe they had already found his body? Or he got out a long time ago and is now waiting for them in a safe place? But then why would his associates save Zenigata?“Zeni,” ‘Zeni’? Since when did Jigen call him that? “Who the hell is Lupin?”
Relationships: Arsène Lupin III/Zenigata Kouichi
Comments: 64
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Moneta - Złodziej dżentelmen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586330) by [Kamisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamisa/pseuds/Kamisa). 



He could hear whispers and giggles behind him as he walked down the hall. He didn't have to listen to them or even understand the language to know what they were talking about. He was used to it already.

The officer on duty at the warehouse with material evidence looked at him bored as he filled out the receipt. Three dark blocks, reminiscent of thick chocolate bars, but in fact being a sample of a new explosive material and one vial (because the other accidentally broke during pursuit, leaving a dark stain on his coat) filled with brown liquid were cataloged and assigned to a case that most considered the worst that could happen to a police officer. It even happened that policemen were assigned to it as a punishment, and service under the inspector who had been the laughing stock of Interpol for years was most often regarded as the end of someone's career.

He closed the door to his office, which was the size of a broom's storeroom, and covered the blinds so that he would not be disturbed by the street lamp located ideally in front of the window. He hung the coat on the back of the chair, set water in an electric kettle, and pulled out an instant soup from one of the drawers. He poured boiling water to it and, after waiting for three minutes, started to eat.

In spite of all these giggles and mocking, Inspector Koichi Zenigata was exceptionally pleased with that day.

He smiled to himself, remembering how just two hours ago he slammed the handcuffs on Lupin's thin wrists. Admittedly, they did not stay there for too long, but this clang of metal, disappointed moan of the thief and a feeling of pride filling every millimeter of the body were enough for Zenigata to consider this day well spent.

"Not so bad, Pops!" Lupin told him, already running towards the open door of the Fiat. "But I don't have time to play with you any longer!" See ya!

Of course he started chasing and screaming, but he couldn't keep up with the yellow car. Fiat with Jigen behind the wheel, Lupin next to him, Goemon on the roof and a million euros in the trunk left for the highway. He immediately ordered the pursuit, but as one would expect, it ended in crashed patrol cars and the thieves enjoying freedom.

The old computer finally started, and Zenigata could turn on the tracking program. After waiting a dozen or so seconds, the loading bar was full. Now all he had to do was enter the password and a map with a red flashing point appeared on the screen.

Zenigata let out a cry of joy and almost wanted to start dancing. So what if he didn't catch Lupin since he managed to drop the transmitter on him! Now it is enough for them to wait until the gang reaches their safe place and when they think that they are not in danger - BANG! Here, Zenigata with a cordon of policemen have already surrounded the entire area and cut off all escape routes!

"Just wait, Lupin, you'll be mine soon!"

*

The gang's hideout turned out to be a motel by the highway, the motel of the kind where only truck drivers and other sketchy characters stop. From the front there was a large parking lot, only half full, where Zenigata immediately noticed the yellow Fiat.

Leaving most of the forces ahead, along with three policemen, he went to the back. Between the garbage containers from which a suspicious, slightly sweet, but at the same time suffocating smell was coming from, Zenigata spotted the door ajar. He let his men know to follow him, took out a few handcuffs and started running. He burst into the building and immediately located the staircase. He jumped two steps at a time to get to the first floor as soon as possible. He couldn't hold back the smile that blossomed on his lips as he jerked the first door to his left.

His radar had an accuracy of more than ten square meters, so he couldn't be sure which of the six rooms the criminals were in. Despite this, he decided to rely on luck and destiny, which for years allowed him to run into Lupin in the least expected places and moments.

“Lupin, you're under arrest!”

Three pairs of eyes - or at least he assumed so, because one of them he could not see from under the shadow cast by the brim of the hat - turned at him, and all expressed the same great surprise.

“P-pops...?” Lupin said finally, leaping to his feet. During this time Goemon managed to reach for the sword resting next to him and Jigen was holding his revolver. However, the hands of both men were already in handcuffs thrown by Zenigata, and more were flying towards Lupin, who skilfully passed them.

“I told you to go on!” Jigen shouted, probably returning to some previous quarrel.

“It was Goemon who wanted to stop!”

“I was hungry,” answered the samurai calmly.

During this short exchange policemen appeared behind Zenigata, and now they were miming to three. The inspector also pulled out his pistol instead of another handcuff. Sighing theatrically, Lupin raised his hands up.

"Caught because of Goemon's stomach," he groaned.

“I will not apologize for my physiological needs.”

"Relax, in prison you'll all get three meals a day," Zenigata announced, laughing out loud. “Now, drop your weapons!”

“Three meals? What about Lunch? And brunch? Afternoon tea?” Lupin began enumeration, counting on his fingers.

“And alcohol?” Jigen interjected. Goemon looked at him in disgust.

“Alcohol is not a meal, Jigen.”

"if you think so," the gunslinger shrugged.

Zenigata felt his eyelids twitch and his smile turned into a grimace of anger. These idiots acted like there were no pistols aimed at them. It was as if they felt no danger, as if they were ignoring the handcuffs wrapped around their wrists and the entire police force waiting outside.

“Can you finally shut up!?” he shouted. “Arrest them!” he instructed his people, rushing forward to catch Lupin. The thief escaped by turning and at the same time pulling out his weapon. Zenigata bumped into the opposite wall and, holding his aching nose, turned toward Lupin and encountered Walther's barrel.

“Don't you get bored, Pops?” asked Lupin, smiling, while Jigen and Goemon were taking care of the rest of the policemen. All that was heard were shots and the whistling of the sword, as well as the stifled cries and moans of law enforcement officers falling like flies. “Don’t you think about retirement?”

"No, until I catch you, I will never rest!" Zenigata replied, putting all his determination into these words.

Suddenly, Lupin's face seemed to soften, and the irritating, sarcastic smile changed into a softer version. The eyes glistened and the mouth opened to say something when a powerful explosion suddenly shook the motel.

Zenigata lost his support and before he fell down he only saw how Lupin's face changes once again and freezes in terror. After a while, everything else disappeared, obscured by smoke and rubble. The air was pushed painfully out of his lungs as he landed on his back. In his ears he heard irritating ringing, effectively drowning out screams and howling police sirens. He wanted to get up, but there was another, smaller explosion this time, and the wall, which had been standing just a moment earlier, broke into thousands of fragments, crushing Zenigata with its weight.

*

Consciousness was coming back slowly. Hearing was first.

The familiar voice kept repeating his name, or rather the nickname. However, this was not so often spoken by Lupin "Pops" but long forgotten and currently not used by anyone "Zeni". Why would anyone call him like that? Why can't he hear his name or even "Inspector!" in any language. And this voice …

He could taste the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and feel sand crumbled between his teeth. He coughed when he wanted to say something and immediately regretted it, because his lungs refused to obey. Besides, he probably had a broken rib, maybe even more than one.

“There he is! Goemon, help me with this!”

There were a few whistles and a click as the sword blade was retracted in its sheath. Suddenly, the stone blocking the world collapsed, and the overwhelming weight disappeared from the chest. Someone knelt next to him, but Zenigata couldn’t focus his eyes, so he only saw a blurred dark spot followed by another, even less clear, but brighter.

“Quick, we have to get out of here.”

He felt someone put a hand under his back and helped him sit down.

“Can you get up?” the same slightly hoarse voice asked. Zenigata put his hand to his face and closed his eyes for a moment. He could smell the sharp smell of cigarettes and wanted to smoke himself. Maybe nicotine would help get rid of that fog obstructive his mind.

"Jigen," the second voice said only one word impatiently.

"Yes, I know," answered the first. “Help me pick him up.”

Zenigata was pulled up. His eyes got cloudy. He couldn't take a step forward and he would have fallen if there weren’t the arms supporting him on both sides.

“Come on, old man, we have to go, don't faint here.”

Unfortunately, in spite of the words, Zenigata's body suddenly cut off all power, once again pushing him into the dark.

*

The second return to consciousness was more pleasant.

He recovered on the back seat of a car, among the growling of the engine and the piano concert coming from the radio. It was dark outside, and the only light were located rare along the road lanterns. In the light of one of them he saw a distinctive black hat. The man behind the wheel turned to answer something to person on the next seat, dressed in traditional Japanese costume.

Zenigata blinked several times to get rid of the fog that made thinking difficult and to make sure that what he was seeing was not just a product of his lumbering mind.

“Jigen! Goemon!” he exclaimed, straightening up abruptly. Suddenly all his strength returned, as always happened when Lupin or someone from his gang was involved.

The called men jumped in their seats, and Jigen took hands of the steering wheel for a moment.

“You want to kill us all!?” the gunslinger screamed in resentment.

"It's good you finally woke up," Goemon said.

Zenigata immediately reached for the handcuffs, but instead he pulled out a handful of Japanese coins from his pocket. He stared at them for a moment, completely not understanding where they might come from. He hadn't been in the country for over a year, why would he carry yens with him? Maybe this is some stupid Lupin’s joke?

Suddenly he remembered that glittering glance of the thief, turned into pure terror in a second. Immediately afterwards, a picture of the collapsing building, screams and these two explosions returned to him.

“Where is Lupin? What happened?”

Jigen and Goemon exchanged glances.

“We'd also like to know. Either the terrorists became interested in roadside motels, or someone knew that we would be there and tried to get rid of us, "Jigen replied.

"Apparently the police knew," said Goemon.

“But the police is unlikely to blow up random buildings, even if it was about capturing world-famous thieves.”

"Of course it is," Zenigata confirmed immediately. “But where is Lupin? Something happened to him? Why isn't he here? And why am I here?”

There was a very heavy silence during which Jigen deliberately pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it without taking his eyes off the road in front of him.

Zenigata's heart stopped for a moment. He was afraid of what he would hear. Is Lupin still somewhere under the rubble? Or maybe they had already found his body? Or he got out a long time ago and is now waiting for them in a safe place? But then why would his associates save Zenigata?

“Zeni,” ‘Zeni’? Since when did Jigen call him that? “Who the hell is Lupin?”

“Who is…?” Zenigata repeated like an echo and began to laugh. “Don't make me laugh, Jigen. So where is Lupin? Once again decided to simulate his death? Tell him I won't be fooled again!”

“Do I look like I'm kidding? I have no fucking idea who that Lupin is.”

The smile froze on Zenigata's lips.

“Goemon?” he asked hopefully.

"I have never heard that name," said the samurai, shaking his head.

“What? Don’t be silly!” shouted Zenigata, now full of anger. “Lupin! Arsene Lupin the Third! He looks like a monkey, acts like a moron and pretends to be a gentleman thief!”

“Arsene Lupin?” Jigen repeated. "Isn't that the French thief of the beginning of the century?"

“Yes! I mean no, that was the grandfather of Lupin, our Lupin, Lupin the Third!”

“There is no ‘our Lupin’! I don't know a man!”

“How can you not know your own boss!”

“You are my boss!” Jigen exclaimed angrily.

“Me!? I am Koichi Zenigata, inspector from ICPO!”

He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and was horrified that it also contained only coins.

“Where's my badge? And handcuffs? What's up with these coins!? Where's Lupin!?”

Jigen stopped the car at the side of the road and turned away. The lantern gave enough light that Zenigata could clearly see the dark eyes of the gunslinger, watching him as if their owner had not yet quite decided what he should feel. Zenigata swallowed hard. He was expecting more screams, perhaps with the addition of weapons and threats. Instead, Jigen seemed ... tired.

“Listen, I have no idea what you mean with all this ‘Lupin’, and if you want to Interpol so badly, I will give you a lift to the door, they will definitely be happy with the arrest of Moneta.”

“Moneta?”

The Russian word sounded strangely familiar. And it wasn't because he knew its meaning. He felt that in some sense it belonged to him. As if someone would call him that.

"Zenigata Koichi, known as Moneta," Jigen said slowly, his eyes never leaving Zenigata's face. “One of the best thieves in the world.”

“I am not a thief!” Zenigata shouted at once. “I catch thieves! Like you, like the Lupin gang!”

He was breathing hard and regretted that Fiat did not allow too many moves. He wanted to wave his arms, run, and above all he wanted to shake Jigen so that he would stop fooling around. The unreality of this scene went beyond any scale. At the same time, he felt like he was in a dream and was sure that all this was real.

"Zeni, you have hit your head too hard," said Goemon, who was silent so far. He also didn't take his eyes off Zenigata. He raised Zantetsuken higher so that everyone would see it. “Maybe if I hit you again, your memory will come back.”

"Yeah, it can work," Jigen said slowly, as if he was really considering the idea.

"Get ready, Zeni," Goemon leaned out more, and Zenigata tried to hide in the corner, cursing Fiat for the lack of a back door.

“My memory is just fine! There is something wrong with yours!”

"Two to one, most are right," Goemon replied, and as he promised, he swung his sword. "Don't hinder," he said when Zenigata managed to dodge.

“How can I not hinder you when you try to kill me!?”

“Only to stun.”

"Okay, leave the old man," Jigen put a hand on Goemon's shoulder. “Maybe he'll go back to senses if he sleeps, and if not, we can leave him in some nursing home, since he’s apparently getting dementia,” he started the engine and the car returned to rolling smoothly along the way. "Or to Interpol, since wants to be there so much."

Goemon nodded and sat up more comfortably, placing the sword on his lap. Only after a moment did Zenigata dare to straighten up. He cast a worried look on the wooden scabbard and said under his breath:

“I'm not old enough to have dementia.”

“So get some sleep and stop fucking about all this ‘Lupin’.”

Zenigata murmured something incomprehensible under his breath, but the fog began to wrap his mind tighter. It was harder to put words into sentences, and sleep seemed the only sensible solution.

Maybe it will all turn out to be just a cruel nightmare and he’ll wake up in his own, or rather hotel, bed, or …

His bemused mind began to give new, terrifying visions. Lupin, once again pretending his death, went a little too far in his game, forcing his friends to pretend they didn't remember him. Lupin, wanting to escape the law, erases memories of himself. Or Lupin, lying lifeless somewhere under the rubble, forgotten by everyone.

Zenigata clenched his fists involuntarily. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, so he tightened his eyelids and breathed deeply.

He was already in worse and much stranger situations. Erasing memory, reading memories, swapping bodies ... Becasue of Lupin he was embroiled in many absurd situations that defied common sense, so maybe he shouldn't be so surprised by all this.

He remembered the eyes of Jigen and Goemon. He could not sense lies in them, they were sincerely worried glances. That's how you look at a loved one who suddenly falls ill and you have no idea what to do. Sure, they both had fooled Zenigata countless times, claiming to be someone else, but this time it was different. Goemon was not particularly good liar, he could not pretend such emotions.

Besides, he couldn't understand what purpose they would have in this whole crib. Pretend they don't know their boss? After all, Lupin was such a well-known personality that it was impossible to hide his presence in the media, so today's edition of any newspaper or any information service on television would be enough to bring the whole plot to ruin.

Besides, why would they save Zenigata? They did not have any particularly warm feelings. Sure, at the rare times when they had to cooperate, they did quite well, but it didn't change the fact that they were on opposite sides of the law. And besides, the only thing that unites them was Lupin.

Lupin ... Would Jigen and Goemon really be able to pretend so convincingly that they didn’t remember him? What if they really lost their memory? Well, then taking inspector from Interpol with them and convincing him that he was a thief would also not make any sense. Why bother so much?

Unless something was wrong with his memories. As Goemon said, there is two to one. He remembered Lupin, they swore they didn’t know anyone like that.

But he was sure he was right. Lupin existed, after all he talked to him a few hours ago! In addition, he has spent the last eight years trying to catch him and no one will take this time away from him.

So, if we assume that his memory was all right, and Jigen and Goemon were also not pretending ... what remained? Transfer to another world? And no matter how silly it sounded, at the moment for Zenigata it seemed to be the only logical explanation. Somehow he came to a twisted world, where Lupin the Third didn’t exist, he was a thief himself, and in addition cooperating with Jigen and Goemon …

He wanted to burst out laughing, but he suppressed it to not look as even bigger madman. On the other hand, would anything be able to harm his already tarnished reputation?

What should he do now? Of course, he must find a way to get back to his world, it was beyond dispute, but for now he is stuck here. Without Lupin. And chasing the thief was his whole life. He devoted absolutely everything to this man. Over the years, he got to know him like no other, he was the only one who could keep up with him, catch him at least for a moment, sometimes even predict what would come to this idiot’s mind.

He could not imagine life without chasing Lupin. Yes, he tried to catch him and put him in prison, but he always knew that sooner or later the thief would run away and game of cat and mouse would start again. In those rare moments, when Lupin was actually behind bars, he eagerly awaited information about the escape. Because only when he ran after Lupin, shouting his name and swinging handcuffs, he felt that he was alive, that he was in his place.

And now all this was to end suddenly? And not even by Lupin's death, fake or not, but by some crazy transfer to another world?

Tears could not be stopped and after a moment Zenigata's cheeks were all wet. He only tried not to sniff, so as not to attract the attention of the men sitting in front.

He didn't have the strength to analyze it all. Tiredness and skill to fall asleep anywhere finally won and Fiat filled with Zenigata's loud snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo!  
> I really enjoyed the episode from part 5 with Zenigata losing his memory and becoming the Moneta. I thought to myself: "But what if he really was a thief?" So yeah, this fic is kinda the answer for that question. Kinda.  
> I'm sorry for any mistakes, I've translated it from Polish mostly using google translate so I supposed there are stupid mistakes.  
> I have already written most of the story but they still need to be checked and translated so I have no idea how often chapters will be published.  
> If anyone wants to contact me try twitter https://twitter.com/KaraKamisa or tumblr https://kamisa-chan.tumblr.com https://badlydrawnlupingang.tumblr.com  
> Thank you for reading, I hoped you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translating is a pain. Forgive me all mistakes, please.

“Wake up, I won't carry you to bed.”

Jigen's voice woke Zenigata from sleep. The man rubbed his eyes and looked around and all he saw was the inside of Fiat.

So he was still here.

He got up, got out of the toy car and stretched. He immediately regretted it. His muscles were sore and bones ached. He didn’t think that his condition was serious enough to need a doctor, but some comfortable bed and a few days of rest would certainly be useful.

It was dawn outside, and in the first rays of sunshine the one-story wooden hut, they had stopped in front of, looked almost unreal. Built practically in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees, with one, not even an asphalt, access road, it had an aura of peace. It promised a well-deserved rest and cutting off from all concerns and worries. As if it was the only safe place in the world.

Zenigata realized that he was staring at the building with his mouth open. He closed it in embarrassment and looked at Jigen. The brim of the hat was slightly raised to reveal the eyes fixed on Zenigata.

"You look like you're here for the first time," he said, not taking his cigarette out of his mouth.

“Because I am. This place ... looks like from a fairy tale.”

“You said the same thing four years ago when you bought it.”

Jigen threw out the cigarette, trampled on it and, without looking back, started toward the door.

“I bought it? This ... does it belong to me?”

Zenigata caught up with Jigen and they entered the building together. In a small vestibule they took off their shoes and went to the main room, equipped with a sofa, armchair, a coffee table and fireplace, in front of which Goemon was kneeling.

"Mhm," Jigen confirmed, turning left, where there was a kitchen. He pulled out two glasses from one of the upper cabinets, and a bottle of whiskey from the bottom. Zenigata recognized the brand, definitely too expensive for his modest payout. Only once in his life had he had the opportunity to try it, when a year ago on his birthday he found an unaddressed package at the door. There was only a bottle of whiskey inside, but Zenigata knew the sender anyway.

Lupin.

Something gripped him inside and he had to lean against the counter so he wouldn't fall. He immediately rubbed his eyes so as not to fall apart once again.

“Here.”

Jigen shoved a whiskey glass under his nose. This gesture seemed so natural that Zenigata was again struck by the unreality of this scene. It was like a picture - Jigen and Zenigata drinking extremely expensive alcohol together - as it was something ordinary. But in reality they never had the opportunity to even have a quiet drink of tea together. Actually, including time in the car after the rescue from the motel, they never spent so much time together without Lupin.

Zenigata hesitated for a moment, but finally muttered some thanks and took the glass in both hands.

Just don't cry, just don't cry, just don't cry.

“I managed to light the fireplace, but we need more wood.”

Goemon's voice snapped Zenigata from numbness. The samurai stood opposite, next to Jigen, who was sipping his whiskey thoughtfully. This time his face was hidden under the hat, but Zenigata could swear that he felt the gunman's eyes on him.

"So, you still don't remember anything?" Jigen asked, and Zenigata just shook his head.

“So are we going back to the previous plan?”

Goemon lifted Zantetsuken upwards, clearly letting them know that he was still ready to use it on Zenigata if it would help in any way.

“No, we're not! It's not like I lost my memory. Rather, my memories don't match yours.”

Jigen and Goemon exchanged glances.

“I am going to take care of wood,” said the samurai unexpectedly and turned on his heel. Jigen finished his whiskey and set the glass down on the counter.

“And I gonna sleep.”

He disappeared behind one of the four doors, leaving Zenigata alone with his thoughts. If it were just a trick, would they leave him like that without any supervision?

The man poured himself another drink and drank it quickly, barely feeling the taste of alcohol. He looked at the bottle and for a moment considered getting enough drunk to pass out, but abandoned the idea. At least for now.

The door to the left of the kitchen, as it turned out, led to a small bathroom, so logically, the others should lead to the bedrooms. Jigen apparently occupied the central one, to the one on the right the door stood open, revealing a raw, modest interior with a futon instead of a western bed. There were no decorations on the wall, and there was only one dresser on the wall with a sword stand.

Zenigata withdrew from there and turned to the last closed door. He put his hand on the door handle, but hesitated to press it. He felt a bit like an intruder, wandering around someone else's apartment.

During the years of the investigation, he managed to find Lupin's safe hideouts several times. Apartments, houses, flats, which more than once served as its base. Of course, he only rarely found anything useful there, sometimes some clothes or makeup tools, but never any safes, works of art or other loot. However, they all had something that this fairy-tale hut in the middle of the forest lacked - they had a clearly noticeable, at least for Zenigata, presence of Lupin.

"Excuse me," he said quietly, entering the room.

He was greeted by stuffiness, combined with a delicate smell of rot and mustiness and dusk, so the first thing he did was to unveil the curtains and open the window. The cold air immediately got inside, and a gust of wind threw up papers, scattered on the desk. In general, it seemed as if the whole room was all rubbish. Empty instant soup containers spilled out of a small trash bin, some metal parts were lying about, the chair was barely visible under the top of the clothes, and the bed, as if made up, gave the impression that someone had just got up from it.

He stood in the middle of it all with an unpleasant feeling, as if he should know this place. After all, it was his stuff. He recognized his handwriting on paper, the clothes were of his size, well, some time ago he bought himself the same shirt that was lying under the desk. He lifted it off the floor, wincing in pain, and pressed it to his face, sensing his scent.

He felt as if he had returned to his family home after a long absence and it turned out that someone had done a complete renovation in his absence. In a sense, he recognized this place, but at the same time he felt like an intruder here. Like a cheater, pretending to be someone else.

Like in a trance, he began to tidy up this mess while reviewing the contents of cabinets and drawers. He felt a bit like a thief, rummaging around someone else's things. Sometimes he came across objects he recognized. Packages of your favorite cigarettes, a lighter from New York, which he lost two years ago, a furiously yellow tie, bought once but never inserted and eventually abandoned in one of the hotels.

Every little detail he found reminded him painfully that it wasn't his life. He didn't have his dream cabin in the woods, where he could collect souvenirs. For several years, he had no place he could call home, he even sold his old apartment in Tokyo. He lived on the run, constantly on the move, constantly chasing the elusive Lupin.

Why would anyone bother to gather so many his stuff in one place? Unless he had a psychophane who had been digging through his trash cans for years, for Lupin to use it for some twisted plan in which he forced his closest friends to pretend that they had forgotten about him, there was probably only one option left.

He really moved to another world.

“I finished chopping wood.”

Zenigata jumped at Goemon's voice. Thoughtful, he did not hear the samurai's footsteps at all.

"G-good work," he said, and Goemon nodded as if he expected such answers.

“Can you help me bring them inside?”

"Sure, wait, just..." Zenigata looked at the two jackets in his hands and tossed them next to the pile of laundry clothes growing on the bed.

He followed Goemon outside and, taking the wheelbarrow and two buckets standing in the vestibule, went into the woods.

“You... you did this!?”

Zenigata stood speechless in front of a large  heap of logs . It looked like someone had chopped a whole tree!

Goemon nodded and put his hand on the sword.

Zenigata shook his head. Indeed, there was only one person in this world capable of chopping a tree five meters high in less than ten minutes. He didn't even know why he was so surprised, he had already seen stranger things fall prey to Zantetsuken.

He bent down to start loading wood onto the wheelbarrow, but then pushed deeply to the side and until now effectively ignored pain returned with doubled strength. He hissed through pursed lips.

“Forgive me. I should not have asked you for help, I forgot about your injuries.”

Goemon bowed formally, and Zenigata waved a hand.

“It’s all right. I can do it, I just shouldn't bend down too much,” after saying that, he reached for a log more or less at the height of his shoulder and threw it into the wheelbarrow. “See? It's all right, it's not that easy to beat old man Zenigata!”

He put his hands on his hips and laughed out loud. Goemon, however, did not share this cheerfulness, instead he looked at Zenigata with a mixture of suspicion and worry.

"You are the same as him, but you are not him," said the samurai. Apparently, he was constantly observing Zenigata, trying to assess whether the man was crazy, lost his memory or was swapped for a clone. Any conclusion he reached, at least he didn’t try to stun Zenigata with the sword.

“Yes, hm, I think you can say that.”

Zenigata looked down and the smile disappeared.

It wasn't his life. He and Goemon shouldn’t take care of wood, he should be in another hotel, planning how to protect another gem from Lupin's sticky fingers. His place was right behind the monkey thief, constantly on his heels, not next to the gunslinger or samurai who didn’t match the current era. He should arrest them and not be friends with them!

He clenched his fists, getting angry at the whole world.

“Do not worry. We will find a way to restore your memory. Or bring our Zenigata back and send you to your Rubin.”

"Lipin," Zenigata corrected mechanically. “And not mine! More yours," he added quieter.

Goemon raised an eyebrow. He didn’t stop working, so after a while both the wheelbarrow and buckets were full and they could return to the cottage with them. It would probably be useful go two or three times to move everything.

Zenigata grunted, lifting two buckets at once, but despite body protests and sweat droplets that appeared on his forehead, he assured Goemon that he could handle it. At worst, he will regret it later.

"You see," Zenigata began, to somehow fill the silence on their way to the cottage. “I may have been chasing Lupin for many years, but I'm not with him 24/7. This is your friend, your boss and my mortal enemy and rival!”

"If so, why are you still talking about him? I would be happy if I woke up in a world where my enemies are gone.”

"It's not that simple," Zenigata laughed sadly. "If he's gone ... what am I for?"

"To help me carry wood," Goemon answered immediately, and Zenigata shook his head.

“You know that's not the point.”

“That is. You don't have to have a purpose in life to be able to live.”

Zenigata looked at the profile of the man walking next to him. For him, everything seemed simple, and the world divided into things that he can cut with his sword and those that he also can, but not necessarily should. How could such a person understand how Zenigata feels?

But did he understand it himself?

They arranged logs next to the fireplace and Goemon stated that he would bring the rest alone, it would just take longer. He did not want to expose Zenigata to greater effort when he should rest. He thanked for help, but apologized for asking for it in the first place and pushing the wheelbarrow in front of him, returned to the forest.

Zenigata was left alone again and he didn't like it too much.

He returned to "his" room, finished sorting clothes, chose some clean clothes and holed up in the bathroom. His coat represented a picture of misery and despair. Fortunately, it ripped up only in one place, but the dark patch by the right pocket, which was created by breaking one of the seizure vials, was much more disturbing. He found them in the safe that Lupin had robbed, along with those weird chocolate-like blocks. Did the thief intentionally decide to ignore them, or did he just not have time to take them, because ICPO was on his heels? Perhaps he will never know.

After ten minutes of struggling with the washing machine, he managed to set up the laundry, discovering a carton of powder in one of the cabinets. Only then did he get in the shower and after a few minutes of combination with taps he managed to set the perfect temperature.

He examined his body, finding a mass of bruises and scratches, but didn’t notice any major injuries. Although he had suspected broken ribs before, he was relieved now that all the bones were in place. Looking at the scale of these explosions and destruction, he had a lot of luck. Of course, if we call luck a magical transfer to a world where Lupin the Third does not exist.

While in the car, when he tried to understand what had actually happened, he could still have some scraps of hope, but now he was brutally robbed of them by Goemon. The samurai wouldn’t be able to feign all these emotions. Besides, as a former assassin and now a thief, someone who should be constantly alert to his potential enemy, he behaved too freely. It was as if they knew each other better than a few times, when under various circumstances they were forced to cooperate or when, even less often, Goemon landed behind bars.

He'd love to think that it's all a nightmare. However, all senses were telling him it wasn’t a dream. The smells surrounding him, burning when the soap got into the wounds, a hot stream of water and slowly changing bruises… All of this was too real.

He felt like he was alone in this world. When Lupin pretended to be dead, he was still spoken of. It would be enough for Zenigata to reach out and he could find some tangible proof of the existence of a thief. An article describing another robbery, hole in hat made by an erroneous bullet, handcuffs that slammed on his wrists for a moment ... Now he didn't have anything.

He couldn't help the tears running down his cheeks, so he just gave in to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Pops enters Moneta's room he says "Ojamashimasu" but I wasn't sure how to translate it into English so I wrote simply "Excuse me".  
> Honestly, now I think this chapter is so bad I should be ashamed to publish it, but I'm too tired to actually care about it. Anyways I've never said I can write. I just want to tell you a story that is stucks in my head.  
> I have 3 more chapters already written but they still have to be translated... Eh...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter is here! Thank you so so much for every comment, they always make my day, make me smile like an idiot in public transport and make me think that maybe (maybe!) my writting apparently make sense c: And also hudos and hits? You guys are crazy and thank you for that!

"Let's summarize what we know," Jigen said, putting his plate on the coffee table. Although the hut only contained cans and dry products, somehow he managed to prepare a decent meal. Zenigata almost started crying when he got his portion. When was the last time someone cooked for him? “We ran away from the police and stayed at the motel because Goemon was hungry and eventually decided that we were staying there for the night.”

Zenigata nodded. They had to find out what happened last night.

“I heard the same. Lupin mentioned something about being caught by Goemon's stomach.”

“You cannot fight hungry”, said the samurai, trying to defend himself.

"Nobody could know we'd be there because we didn't plan this stop," Jigen said, ignoring Goemon's comment. “Which means either someone was following us, or someone working in the motel recognized us, or the police decided to finish us off once and for all.

“The last option can’t be true. I commanded the action. I would not order to blow up the whole building just to catch Lupin, and logically we must assume that these explosions had the same source in my and your world.

Jigen nodded, acknowledging this. He did not comment in any way that Zenigata was talking about some "my and your world". Perhaps he had come to the conclusion that there had to be more to memory loss than that, and the theory of traveling between parallel worlds didn’t have to be the craziest one at all.

“In the motel we only had contact with the restaurant staff and boy at the reception. Apart from us, several other guests stayed there, but I didn't recognize anyone. And you, Goemon?”

“I did not. I also did not notice anyone following us.”

“So what? We have no ideas?” asked Jigen, resigned.

Zenigata shook his head, and Goemon closed his eyes and said after a moment:

“Maybe it's another of your exs, Jigen.”

“Don't overdo it! Not every attempt to kill us has something to do with my past!”

"Not every," Goemon agreed. “Only ninety percent.”

“Bullshit! Sixty, at most!”

“So you admit that most of them?”

“And what, jealous that I had such a turbulent love life?”

“No, I am completely satisfied with mine and your old loves make our present life difficult.”

"Now, now," Zenigta decided to interject, fearing that the quarrel might turn into something worse. Although he had to admit that the subject of Jigen's old romances in the context of a high percentage of homicide attempts was interesting, it was not a good time to satisfy his curiosity. “We have to check all the options, although the revenge theme does not quite suit me. If anyone had such hatred for Jigen or anyone else, "he added quickly, seeing the look thrown from under his hat. “they would like to do it personally, not hide behind mysterious explosions.”

"That's rather too far fetched," Jigen said, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. He offered one to Zenigata and fired both, saying, "It could be someone known who did not want to be associated with this incident. Although in a sense you're right, such envious motherfuckers like to look their victims in the eye when they shoot them in the head.”

“Exactly. Besides, they would like you to know who kills you. And we must also remember that unless someone carries dynamite with them on a daily basis, such explosions require prior preparation, and as we have already agreed, no one could know that you will be staying at this motel.

"Nobody but the police," Goemon said. Zenigata sighed.

“I didn't know you were going to stop there. I planted the transmitter when you escaped after yesterday's robbery, gave a few hours and only then did gather a crew to catch you.

“Transmitter?”

“Yeah, I managed to put it in Lupin's pocket when he was running away.”

"So someone here had to put it on you," concluded Goemon. Zenigata nodded.

Before washing the laundry, he searched all pockets and found nothing disturbing except the alarming amount of coins. Does this mean that the transmitter fell out during the explosion? He remembered how he was checking the pockets in the car looking for a badge, and then he found nothing suspicious. In that case, unless the transmitter evaporated during the explosion, there was one more option - there was never any transmitter, because in this reality someone knew which route the thieves would run away and took advantage of the fact that they stopped overnight faster than the original plan.

However, he decided not to share these thoughts for the time being, because they led to a simple conclusion - someone of the three of them had to betray.

"Actually," Zenigata said after a moment of silence. “Who at ICPO deals with your case?”

“Currently, a younger guy. Lenormand, or something like that," answered Jigen.

“Currently? Does this mean that there is no one inspector permanently assigned to you?”

Jigen laughed and Goemon smiled proudly.

"Nobody lasts too long," he said. “We’re too good.”

Zenigata snorted.

“I've lasted almost a decade.”

"Such devotion is honorable," Goemon said, and bowed slightly. Zenigata, surprised by this reaction and slightly embarrassed, returned the gesture.

“Maybe, but certainly annoying. That's why I'm happy Zeni works with us and not against us.”

Jigen grinned and winked at Zenigata from under his hat, which only caused more red on the man's cheeks.

He wasn’t used to receiving praise. After all, being assigned to the Lupin case did not give many opportunities to be patted on the back. It is true that many times instead of the monkey thief, he arrested much more dangerous criminals, but still although officially he was praised, it was always lined with the sentence: "You wouldn’t be able to do it without Lupin, he handed this criminal to you, and you only brought him to us."

Any such big detention attracting media’s interest was like an extension of the contract. You gave us back a dangerous thug, so we'll let you play detective a little longer and waste ICPO funds. It would look bad if, after a loud arrest, the press reported that Zenigata was fired, because once again he failed to catch the thief, who in his elusiveness was for many an urban legend rather than a real figure.

“I’ll take Goemon and go to find people from the motel. We will see if there was certainly no one familiar there.” said Jigen, rising from his seat. Zenigata nodded.

“A good idea. Unless someone has escaped from the scene, we should find everyone in the hospital.”

“There is no ‘we’. You stay here.”

“What? Why!?”

“Because you almost died under rubble yesterday and you need to rest. And someone has to clean up after eating,” answered Jigen. “Stand up, Goemon.”

The samurai obediently rose, but before he followed Jigen to the door, he turned to Zenigata:

“Don't worry, we'll buy you something sweet when we get back.”

“I'm not worried about that!”

After a while, he heard the roar of the engine and went to the window to watch the car slowly roll between the trees and finally disappear from view.

He sighed deeply, looking away to the table. He gathered dirty dishes, rolled up his shirt sleeves and began to wash.

They should take him with them. After all, he was a detective, he knew how to interrogate witnesses and extract information from them. Besides, he wasn't terminally ill to only be able to lie in bed. Compared to the condition in which he happened to chase Lupin, now he was in top form! He couldn't just bend down. Or make too rapid movements. But apart from that he was fine!

But he didn't argue with Jigen. Why? After all, he knew that he could have done more by questioning potential witnesses than washing dishes after dinner. And yet he accepted the gunslinger's decision without discussion.

Maybe the new day brought not only a new dose of energy, but also hope. It was all only temporary, maybe even unreal, so it didn't matter if he interrogated or tried to clean the pan. In the end, he will wake up in his world and will no longer have to worry about all this. Goemon praises? Lunch made by Jigen? It's not his life. He just wanted to be able to look at Lupin's face again, shout his name, grab his hand...

He shook his head, warding away sad thoughts. He couldn’t get carried away with longing again. He should focus on what’s now, come up with an idea how to fix it all.

Still deep down he hoped that everything was just a very funny joke, a show arranged by Lupin. He wanted to believe that Lupin was watching it all from cameras, that he was curling up with laughter and he was looking forward to leaning out from behind the curtain, announcing that it was all his plan from the very beginning.

But he knew it would not happen.

This complete misunderstanding in the eyes of both Jigen and Goemon when he mentioned the name of Lupin could not be fake. In addition, all this hut hidden among the trees. He found things here that he had lost long ago. He saw piles of pages filled with his writing, and in the bathroom he discovered his favorite body wash and toothbrush, identical to the one he had carried in his suitcase. All these little things only reinforced his belief that he really did jump between dimensions.

But how to get back now?

It seemed that the key to all this was the motel explosions. It was through them that he came under the rubble and lost consciousness to wake up in another reality.

He had sincerely hoped that the Goemon theory would turn out to be true and that all was caused by one of Jigen's exes. Because if not, the most likely hypothesis that Zenigata did not even want to take into account was the one about betrayal. He tried to find something else, however, the world did not give him many opportunities. If it wasn't an accident or the revenge of one of the people in the motel, police was the only left option.

Zenigata didn't tell anyone about the placement of the transmitter. Only when the signal stopped for a longer time in one place, he reported to the present boss, Interpol vice president John Mehler. He, for old times’ sake, because they were working together in the time before "Lupin", allowed Zenigata to gather as many people as he needed to storm the hotel. Among the policemen selected for action were mainly the unfortunates on duty that night, including Mehler’s secretary.

A poor guy. Zenigata couldn’t remember his name, something from Eastern Europe ending with "icz". Fabrowicz? Fabrinowicz? Irrelevant. In any case, he was definitely the type of office worker, and when they got off in front of the motel, he seemed like he could start crying or vomiting at any moment. Or both at once. A poor boy. He was the ranking officer, right after Zenigata, so not only that he had to deal with the assault from the frond and command the rescue operation after the explosions.

Zenigata itched to immediately go to the nearest city and contact ICPO so that he could at least apologize to this young man for the problems. However, he knew he couldn't even do that. He had to sit in this hut in the woods, cut off from the world. Besides, what would he say? "Good morning, this is Zenigata, a good friend of Jigen Daisuke and Ishikawa Goemon, I wanted to talk with the secretary of the vice president." Or maybe he should immediately introduce himself as "Moneta"? After all, he was also a wanted criminal here.

Zenigata didn’t believe it could be Interpol's fault. Sure, he did not claim that all people working there are saints, many would prefer to see Lupin dead than behind bars, but in this case not only the thief could end up under the rubble. After all, Zenigata himself was wounded, and in the building there were also other policemen, let alone civilians.

So, if not ICPO, this left one more option.

The local Zenigata betrayed his companions, handing them over to Interlol or some villain craving for revenge. This theory, however, was so frightening and sad that it was better to leave it in a corner and ignore it.

When he had finished cleaning the kitchen, Zenigata started sweeping the main room. He tried to remember the last time he had to deal with such activities. For years he only slept in hotels, rarely someone lent him his private apartment, but in both cases he was not obliged to clean up after himself. In hotel rooms he also usually left chaos, running out with a suitcase in his hand or even forgetting about it. That's why having his own room, some space he had to take care of, seemed so unreal to him. Although it was kinda comforting, that the local Zenigata, who had his own corner, was also messy. Apparently there are character traits that never change.

After he had dealt with the kitchen and living room, he declared war on dust in his bedroom. Armed with a cloth and a mop, he bravely fought with all flat surfaces, previously rubbing them off, until he reached the stage when he could walk barefoot without fear, and even put an uneaten sandwich on his desk, without fear of having it immediately devoured by a civilization developed from leftovers of instant soups.

Wiping the frame, he moved the mountain landscape hanging above the bed, painted in traditional Japanese style. Behind it, instead of a wall, a metal safe emerged.

For a moment Zenigata stared at the discovery, not sure if he had the right to guess the password. It would be a burglary in the end, right? However, after all, in a sense it was "his" hiding place. Plus in this world he was a thief anyway, so what else could one more crime do to him?

He shook his head.

No, such thinking did not lead to anything good. Regardless of everything, breaking the law was unforgivable.

BUT

After all, if he tries to enter the password once, nothing will happen. He will simply prove to himself that this is not his property and he should not be interested in all this. The local Zenigata was a thief, so he could have nothing to do with a law-abiding, disciple, ho-

Oh.

To Zenigata's surprise, the first password he entered worked. Well, there was no turning back now.

He took the picture off the wall to be able to open the safe wide. He expected to see some mountain of money or gems accumulated during the robberies. Instead, three file folders lay at the bottom of the metal shelf. Puzzled, he pulled the first one out of shore.

“What on earth?” he whispered, browsing familiar pages.

In his hands he held belonging to ICPO Jigen Daisuke’s files.

As expected, the second folder contained information about Goemon. He searched them briefly, noting only that the list of crimes was different from the one he was used to. More killings, less thieves, plus the list was stopped five years ago. He didn’t focus much on the text, because his thoughts still faded to the third, last folder. Who could she belong to? Mine Fujiko? Or maybe ...

For a moment, the hope flashed again that he would see a picture of the familiar monkey face, that he would be able to look at the text he knew, the text he had written himself.

The folder was heavier than the others, and when he opened it something fell on the bed. Zenigata's heart froze at the familiar black case decorated with the Interpol logo.

With trembling hands, he gently raised the badge.

It wasn't as damaged as the one in his world, but it was definitely the same badge he had worn with pride for so many years. It had the same old picture, the same number, and the same coffee stain.

But what was it doing in the safe? The empty folder did not provide him with any answers, so only guesses remained. And these inevitably returned to earlier considerations.

Everything matched. Hidden badge, files of Jigen and Goemon, no transmitter in his pocket ...

Zenigata Koichi was a traitor and put to death not only himself, but also people who supposedly considered him a friend.

His legs buckled and he had to sit on the bed. He stared blankly at the badge and tried to understand how somebody who was supposed to be him could do something like that.

Probably the local Zenigata never left ICPO, only pretended and worked undercover, trying to approach dangerous criminals. It even made sense, after all, almost a decade ago, when he was new to Interpol, he was about to start working undercover. But then by accident his roads crossed with Lupin, which changed his life forever. And since Lupin did not exist in this twisted world…

Being a new recruit from the Tokyo police, he miraculously got a cover job. Although he had great results in all tests and a rich history of detentions, he did not have enough experience to deal with such a serious matter right away. As far as he remembered, Mehler also applied for the same position and ultimately he infiltrated the New York Mafia under a new identity. He managed to quickly arrest the majority of its members and since then his career has gained momentum, leading to the fact that three years ago he became vice president.

Zenigata wondered if he had landed in New York in this version of events. There, he probably had a chance to make friends with Jigen and Goemon, and then, assuming the false identity of the thief Moneta, he stayed close to them, eventually leading to an attempted arrest or rather murder.

However, this raised further questions.

Why did he wait so long for surrendering them to the police? Jigen mentioned earlier that he bought this hut in the forest four years ago. This means that he already had to work under the guise of "Moneta". Why pretend to be a thief for so many years and hang out with criminals? There had to be some benefit to it.

Maybe just like in the Zenigata’s world, here also while trying to capture famous thieves, he handed more dangerous criminals to Interpol. That could explain why instead of bringing Jigen and Goemon straight to jail, he worked with them.

Another question was why yesterday, during the attempted arrest, these explosions even occurred. Has ICPO patience finally run out? They wanted to get rid of known criminals at once, while removing an agent who spent too much time undercover?

So what, after arriving at the motel, the local Zenigata informed Interpol, expecting that he would finally be able to finish this crib and return to normal life. Meanwhile, he was betrayed and someone higher up decided to eliminate all thieves.

There was another option - these explosions were only meant to hurt Zenigata.

If Jigen and Goemon suspected something, a dangerous situation could help remedy it. Maybe it all was only supposed to look like ICPO had betrayed Zenigata and tried to get rid of him.

What if despite it all suspicion wasn’t dispelled. After all, yesterday Zenigata himself shouted in the car that he belonged to ICPO. It could only confirm Jigen and Goemon in guesses, and now they were running as far as possible under the pretext of interrogating witnesses.

Had he just spoiled the five-year undercover job of the local Zenigata with his presence? And what should he do now?

He couldn't run away. He had no means of transport and had no idea where exactly he was, because he had slept most of the way yesterday. He didn't even know how far away the unlucky motel was, and he couldn't predict when Jigen and Goemon would return unless they were already aboard an airplane heading to the other end of the world.

All he had to do was wait. He had enough food and wood to last a few days. He will also have the opportunity to finish cleaning the room. Perhaps he should look more closely at the collapsing papers everywhere. He saw some newspaper clippings about the "Moneta Gang". Maybe it will help him get to know the local Zenigata, learn how he worked and understand him, at least a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parish announcements:  
> 1\. Probably there won't be new chapter next week, because I won't have time to translate it.  
> 2\. Recently I made a blog for screeming about Lupin https://badlydrawnlupingang.tumblr.com because I need to write in English more and also I wanted a plece where I can yeet my sketches and doodles.  
> 3\. Once more time - thank you for all these comments! If I don't respond it's not like I don't care or I'm mean. It's only because I'm too stunned and don't know what to say. Believe me, I cherish evry single comment, every single kudo, you guys are the best.


	4. Chapter 4

He was slowly turning the mess into a more organized form of chaos.

He pulled all the pages out of the desk's cabinets and sorted them into three piles: those that contained plans for various buildings or other information, probably accumulated over the years when planning heists; then the first pages of newspapers or individual articles cut out about the "Moneta Gang" and the third, with reports of thefts from all over the world, but without telling who the perpetrators were.

Next he methodically ordered the articles chronologically. The oldest had a date back five years, and the latest was one month ago and belonged to the last stack. It was a brief information about the mysterious disappearance of the pearl necklace. Zenigata remembered this case. There was wide famous in his world, because Lupin had announced the theft a week earlier, sending his cards not only to Interpol, but also to the media. He wanted to do a great show and he succeeded. Then he pulled down for a month to come back yesterday and cock a snook at police again.

Lupin…

When he closed his eyelids he saw the thief's face just before the explosion. A gentle smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. Zenigata clearly felt his cologne, a smell he would know everywhere. The magic of that moment was spoiled only by Walther's black barrel, aimed at the policeman's head, separating them like a wall.

Zenigata shook his head. Thinking about someone who doesn't exist here won't help him. If he ever wants to meet Lupin again, he has to go back to himself, and to achieve this he can not be distracted by memories.

He began sorting things from the first stack, matching them to press releases about the heits. However, he quickly ran out of space in the room when the floor turned into a paper mishmash, so he took a part with him and went to the living room. Now not only his room, but also the table and unfolded sofa was buried in a wastepaper. In the end, he managed to match everything, while discovering that a few things from the third stack were Moneta's doing. Apparently, he did not always sign under his thefts.

He wondered if that was all. Perhaps the rest of the papers were kept in another hideout and what he was looking at now was only part of the criminal achievements of the local Zenigata. If so, the thief was very hardworking.

Some of the stolen items coincided with those which Lupin brazenly appropriated. However, as much as he appreciated the art of theft itself, Moneta clearly cared only about money. All the jewels, jewelry and works of art that came into his possession could be easily and quickly cashed. There were no dangerous and crazy missions so loved by Lupin. Besides, Moneta had never sent warning cards, he only left his messages after the robbery, and apparently he didn’t do it always.

The third stack was about half thinner. Zenigata found that some press clippings had their titles and dates underlined. He compared them with the heists from the second pile. It turned out that for about two years someone had been stealing, following Moneta and his gang. As if someone were taking advantage of focusing all the police attention on a known thief. There was also the option that Monet was responsible for these robberies, but they lacked plans did not fit the image of the thief in the mind of Zenigata. 

In addition, he once again found evidence of the double life of the local Zenigata. In most cases, his victims were rich men of the worst sort. Sometimes information about the theft was accompanied by a longer article, or at least a reference to such, revealing the true nature of another villain hiding behind the mask of a rich, but well-liked businessman. Only exposing such figures to the police could explain why for so many years ICPO agreed to play Moneta and ally with dangerous criminals.

Having made another cup of coffee (which one?), he sat down in his armchair and stared at the papers spread everywhere.

He managed to learn about Moneta's modus operandi. He apparently used the knowledge accumulated over the years of police service to outsmart law enforcement officers. Before the attack, he collected information about the building and the immediate surroundings and prepared a minimum of two escape routes. He didn't kill anyone, he rarely used the Colt M1911 pistol (i.e. the one that Zenigata also used), and his distinctive weapon from which he took his nickname was coins. Apparently, in this matter he followed in the footsteps of his ancestor, Zenigata Heiji.

Zenigata played with the badge in his hands. Heiji was also a policeman, already famous in his time in the Edo period and even now, more than a century later, he was recognized. Among other things, because of this heritage, Zenigata decided to become a policeman. From childhood, he loved to hear stories about the famous ancestor, catching criminals with his jitto, thrown coins and unusual deduction.

What did Heiji has to think about his descendant who instead of catching thieves became one of them?

“We are back.”

Zenigata twitched. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he couldn't even hear the car coming up, only Goemon's voice brought him down.

“We’ve bought- What happened here!?”, Jigen shouted, seeing the room drowned in the papers.

“I…” 

Before Zenigata could make a statement, Goemon was standing next to him. There was a whistling sound as the blade of the sword cut the air just before Zenigata's face. The man leaned back sharply, and the badge fell out of his hands.

There was silence as the document fell to the floor, opening up in the photo of a serious, proud and ten years younger inspector.

Zenigata swallowed hard and congratulated himself. As usual, he fucked up beautifully. Should he be getting ready to die? What will reach him faster? Sword blade or bullet fired from a revolver?

After all, die at the hands of people whose skills he valued and pursued for a large part of his life was not so bad. He only regretted that he would die without ever giving Lupin to justice. That he would never drink with him, did not ignite, that he would not see the monkey smile and hear loud laughter again.

He straightened up, ready to what was going to happen.

Jigen sighed deeply and instead of pulling Magnum from behind the belt, he gave Goemon an annoyed look.

“What are you doing?”

"I killed a mosquito," Goemon said, putting the sword in the sheath.

Jigen just shook his head.

"You'd better go to the car for the rest of the shopping, and you," Jigen pointed at the shocked Zenigata. “You have a minute to make room for me on the couch. Two and I don't want to see these papers on the table.”

Holding a shopping bag in one hand and with the other in his back pocket, he went to the kitchen. Goemon obediently went outside and only then Zenigata dare to exhale.

What just happened?

Why were none of the men surprised at the sight of the badge? Why didn't they start accusing him, asking, anything?

“Half a minute!” Jigen shouted from the kitchen. Zenigata immediately began to collect papers from the couch, stacking them on one pile, which he set on the floor. While he was in the middle of the table, Jigen came into the room and immediately lay down on the couch. He stretched his legs and opened a can of beer, handing a second to Zenigata.

Zenigata put the papers under the table and accepted the can with some suspicion.

“Asahi?” he was surprised to see the familiar logo.

“Right? I didn't expect Japanese beer here. I wasn't gonna buy, but Goemon insisted.”

“I did not,” the samurai put shopping on the kitchen counter and entered the living room with beer in hand.

“You stood in front of a beer shelf for over a minute, for you it’s equivalent to a kid shouting the whole store.”

"No," Goemon said only, sitting down and cutting off the discussion. Jigen laughed.

Zenigata did not listen to this exchange, only raised the badge looking at him reproachful, as only inanimate objects can look.

“Ah. You found it, ”Jigen said in the same tone, as if Zenigata had found a pen thrown under the sofa, not proof of his, that is, of his double’s, guilt.

Zenigata looked at Jigen and Goemon and then at the badge.

And started crying.

“Whoa! Zeni, are you all right!?” Jigen leapt up.

"Since he is crying, apparently not," Goemon replied, looking worriedly at Zenigata.

“Why?” Zenigata finally asked, between one sniff and the other. ”Why did you come back? Why aren't you angry? I, he, betrayed you... So why…?”

Jigen and Goemonen exchanged glances. The gunslinger sat down and finished his beer.

"Hmm, well, I think we owe you an explanation," he said. “Just wait ... Goemon, go to the kitchen and bring whiskey and a glass, we'll need something stronger.”

“Why me?”

“Because you're the youngest.”

It was useless to argue with such an argument. Goemon brought Scotch, two glasses and took another beer hor himself. He sat on the couch and opened it, and Jigen poured himself and Zenigata a solid portion of alcohol.

“It's hard to get used to the fact that someone who looks the same and is basically behaving the same, is not someone you’ve known for years. And it's even harder to tell someone about life, which should have been his,” began Jigen. “I think we should have told you this story earlier, but the most important thing you should know is that Zenigata Koichi, an ICPO agent, is dead.”

Zenigata looked at him through his tears.

"Only officially, of course," Jigen added quickly. “We faked your death about four years ago. Since then for the rest of the world, you, I mean he, is dead.

"Zenigata is dead, long live Moneta," Goemon interjected.

"Long live," Jigen agreed and toasted. The samurai tapped with him and Zenigata only slightly raised his glass. After drinking all the contents at once, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve to get rid of the tears.

"That means... does that mean you knew he was an agent?"

“Sure. He told us almost a year after being transferred to our case,” Jigen shrugged. “But we figured it out earlier.”

“So why didn't you get rid of him? He wanted to put you behind bars!”

"It's not that simple," Jigen said, lighting a cigarette. “I’ve met him years earlier, when we worked for the same mafia in New York for a while. Then our paths diverged, I met Goemon and after a few works you, he, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and somehow so naturally joined us. We did the simple jobs, usually as bodyguards, and we didn't really start stealing until after he died. We were in Russia at the time, we broke into the museum, took some tsarist's jewelry and run away. And because Zeni used coins to stun guards, the press came up with the nickname Moneta.”

"But that still doesn't explain why you worked with him at all. If you guessed that he was working undercover, why didn't you escape?”

"Because Zeni is our friend," Goemon said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I do not know another man of such honor.”

“Honor? He was a double agent! What could be honorable about it?”

“Honor manifests itself in different ways.”

"Honorary or not, he saved our ass a few times, moreover with reciprocity," said Jigen. “In addition, things at ICPO were getting worse, this Mehler guy was scheming something…”

“Mehler?” Zenigata repeated the name. “John Mehler?” he asked, and Jigen nodded.

“This motherfucker convinced everyone that you, that Zeni, changed sides and really decided to become a criminal. And these morons believed him and eventually it was decided to get rid of Zeni silently and to sweep everything under the rug. They did not foresee that we knew their plans. They planned a fire, an unfortunate accident at the place where you usually left reports. All we had to do was drop your DNA there and let everyone believe Zeni's death.”

Zenigata leaned back, closed his eyelids and sank into an armchair.

Mehler was the first person he told about the motel. It is true that he did not go there himself, but he could have order someone - his secretary for example - to place explosives. Only he would have access to appropriate equipment quickly enough to be responsible for those explosions.

Zenigata felt something heavy just come down from his chest. He was not a traitor. He did not betray people who considered him their friend.

Although he still didn’t know Mehler's motive. Here it was possible that he learned about the real identity of Monet and decided to silence the former agent, forever this time, but in his world? Sure, maybe they didn't get along particularly well, but they knew each other for years. So that was about Lupin? Did the famous theft messed with ICPO one too many times?

“Is Mehler vice president of Interpol?”

“Mhm. His career after speeded up this alleged death of Zeni.”

Zenigata nodded. He crossed his arms and straightened up. There were no more tears in his eyes. They were replaced by determination, almost the same one he always felt when he knew he had gotten Lupin's track.

“Mehler was the only one who knew earlier than others that you were staying in a motel, because he had to give permission to start the action.”

“Are you suggesting...?” Goemon didn't finish the question, but Zenigata nodded.

“Yes, it seems that he was behind the explosions.”

"That would make sense," Jigen agreed. "If this motherfucker found out that Zeni was still alive, he might want to finish what he started four years ago."

“But how would he find out about it?”

Goemon paused and looked at Jigen. The man puffed on the cigarette before he said:

“Yeah. Lenormand.”

“The officer assigned to your case?” 

“Mhm. The kid was lucky last time and in the struggle he managed to look under the Zeni’s mask. If he described his appearance to Mehler, he could guess everything.”

“Wait, the mask?”

Jigen waved a hand.

“The mask is too strong a word. Zeni always wears a balaclava during heists. Not only was he officially dead, he was once a policeman himself.”

"Yes, hmm, that makes sense," Zenigata said, kind of disappointed. What did he actually expect? That Moneta like Lupin was a master of disguises? After all, all his knowledge of masks and makeup came from Lupin, and since he was not in this world, "Zeni" could not learn it from him.

Zenigata sighed and felt as if all the stress accumulated during the day had escaped him with this breath. He no longer had to worry that his counterpart in another world was a traitor or that he might die at the hands of his friends. Now that he understood who was behind the explosions he felt again that he had a purpose in life.

He had to get to Mehler. Since it was because of him that he came here, maybe thanks to him he will also be able to come back to his world. Right now it was his only hope.

"Actually," he began, wanting to ask something that had been puzzling him for a long time. “Why ‘Zeni’?”

“What ‘why Zeni’?” Jigen repeated without understanding.

“Why do you call him and me like that?”

"After all, ‘zeni’ means ’coin”," answered Jigen, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And besides, it is shorter than ‘Zenigata’.”

"What do we call you in your world then?" Goemon asked.

"Usually just ‘Keibu’ or ‘Tot-” he paused and suddenly his face turned red.

“Tot?”

"Tottsan," Zenigata said quietly, and Jigen burst out laughing.

“Seriously? We call you, ‘Pops?’” he asked, not ceasing to laugh. He was holding his stomach and kicking his legs, almost pouring out his whiskey.

`”It was Lupin who came up with the nickname!” Zenigata shouted, standing up abruptly. ”It’s's his fault!”

Jigen didn't look like he was about to stop laughing. Zenigata only looked helplessly at him and returned to his place.

Cursed Lupin. He causes problems, even if he isn’t there.

"If you want," said Goemon, who was not as happy as his friend. "We can call you... Pops," he finished quieter, looking away and blushing.

“No, I do not want to! Zeni is fine!” Zenigata protested at once and Jigen started laughing even louder.

*

Zenigata let out a cloud of smoke and looked up at the sky. He had not seen so many stars for a long time. The sky in the cities was too bright, and when he was in some less urbanized regions he was usually too busy chasing after Lipin or fighting for his own life to pay attention to anything else.

He looked at his watch. It was almost one in the morning. He didn't even know it was so late. As always when he worked, he lost all sense of time. Had it not been for the return of Jigen and Goemon, he would probably have realized in the morning that he should have been sleeping a long time ago, or he would have just fallen over a pile of papers. In addition to resting, he also forgot to eat, and apart from those few coffees and one instant soup he had nothing in his mouth all day. Therefore, as soon as the loud rumble emanating from his stomach managed to break through the thunderous laughter of Jigen, Goemon offered to prepare soba noodles, since they bought all the ingredients anyway.

“It'll be ready soon.”

Zenigata turned at the sound of Jigen's voice. The gunslinger stood beside him, lighting a cigarette. He suddenly shook as the blast brought cooler air.

“You know you don't have to go out to smoke?”

“I do, but I needed fresh air.”

“So if you've already inhaled, go back inside, Pops.”

He specifically emphasized the last word, additionally seasoning it with a malicious smile.

"Come on, I told you you can call me Zeni," Zenigata muttered gloomy, though a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He missed those two syllables, spoken in a humorous tone. That "See you later, Pops!" shouted when the thief once again disappeared over the horizon.

He sighed deeply. For now, he had to set Lupin aside. Because if he doesn't stop thinking about him and focus on his current task, he will end up like these several times over the decade when Lupin pretended to be dead. So to put it mildly, quite pathetically.

"Your Lupin," Jigen said suddenly. That would be enough when it came to not thinking about this monkey. “Tell me about him.”

"He's not mine at all," Zenigata said immediately irritated. “He is a thief, a criminal and a crook! He should be rotting behind bars a long time ago, but  fortune favours fools and he somehow always manages to get away. He is unpredictable, rough, childish, too loud and too often he thinks with not the part of the body he should.”

Zenigata folded his arms. He remembered all those times when he got into trouble because of Lupin. All falls from the cliffs, hanging on the edge of the abyss, freezing on the pole, dying in the desert, getting lost in the jungle... Because of him, he survived so much that it would be enough for not one, but several lives. But he survived. After all, Lupin never exposed him to such a danger that he would not be able to overcome. Was it just a thief's reluctance to kill, or did he felt sorry for the old policeman?

"But," Zenigata said after a moment of silence. “he really is a good man. Intelligent, charming, loyal to his friends.” he sighed and looked up at the sky. “You know, he really would be a great cop. It is a pity that he preferred to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.”

"Food is ready," Goemon suddenly leaned out the door.

“We're coming," answered Jigen. Goemon nodded and hid in the warmth of the hut. Jigen threw cigarette’s butt and trampled it with his foot. He put his hand on Zenigata's shoulder and before he opened the door, said: “You know, it is rare that someone would describe their mortal enemy as charming.”

Zenigata blinked several times. Did he really use that term?

Jigen smiled as if he had all the knowledge of this world and patted Zenigata on the shoulder.

“Come, the food will cool down.”

*

“It was delicious! I haven't eaten anything Japanese for a long time and it was just great!”

With every praise from Zenigata, Goemon nodded with an ever greater proud smile.

“I have to admit that you've outdone yourself this time, Goemon."

"If you eat like that often, maybe I should really think about changing my career!"

Zenigata laughed out loud. Earlier Jigen surprised him with his ability to make dinner out of nothing, now Goemon turned out to be great in Japanese cuisine ... He wondered if Lupin could also cook.

Jigen yawned long and loud and stretched out on the couch. He adjusted his hat slightly to cover his face even more.

"I'm exhausted," he said. “Can we postpone further praising Goemon until tomorrow?”

“Are you going to sleep here?” asked the samurai, raising one eyebrow.

“I like this couch. Besides, getting up and going to bed costs too much energy.”

"Laziness breeds powerlessness," said Goemon, in the tone of a teacher reprimanding a disobedient child.

“Not true. Great inventions came from laziness.”

Jigen settled in more comfortably, lying down and forcing Goemon to move to the edge of the couch. He put his hands behind his head and took his shoes off.

“Hm? Aren't we going to talk about witness testimonies?”

The meal gave Zenigata energy back, but he knew he would fall asleep as soon as he rested his head on the pillow. Still, he didn't want to go to sleep yet. As always, when he was in charge of a case or when he learned about Lupin's next plan, he could not sit unproductively. He would like to immediately move to Interpol, to stand in front of Mehler and demand explanations from him.

“One witness,” Jigen said without changing his position. “There was only one policeman in the hospital who got into our room. Apparently he was closest to the source of the explosion, right after you and Lenormand, except that the inspector left the hospital at his own request a few hours before our arrival.”

“What about other victims? You said there were other guests in the motel, and I had about twenty people with me. It is impossible that nothing would happen to anyone, the building practically collapsed.”

“Mhm. Only that, apart from us, Lenormand and his three dumbass, no one else was in the building.”

“What? It’s impossible! Unless…”

"Someone warned them," Goemon confirmed Zenigata's guess.

During the few minutes that passed between the building's surroundings and the explosions, someone had to not only evacuate people, but also place explosives. An impossible task for one person, so this assassination - because what else to call the attempted murder not only of thieves, but also police officers - more people had to be involved.

Mehler's secretary and his people.

Zenigata took only three policemen with him to the back of the building, those who were traveling with him in the police car. He left the command of the action from the front to this Fa-something-icz. If the rest of the people were following his orders, they could make it on time.

Zenigata could understand that the target of the assassination was he or the gang. It happened not the first time and certainly not the last. But the lives of policemen were also at stake, as they were unlucky to be on duty that night and be chosen to enter the building with Zenigata.

And that was something Inspector Zenigata Koichi could not forgive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I menaged to tranlate it earlier than I thought. Thank you for comments and kudos~!  
> Next time there gonna be a lit more action although because of Christmas I have no idea when I'll have a chance to start translating it.


	5. Chapter 5

Zenigata fell like a log on the bed and slept a few hours without any dreams. He woke up as if reset. A sense of unreality and hopelessness left him, replaced by determination and hope. Again he had a goal he had to and wanted to pursue. In addition, it was the first step to return to Lupin.

When he entered the living room completely dressed and ready for action, Jigen was still sleeping on the couch, covered only with a blanket. His hat slips a bit, revealing his usually hidden face.

So that's what Lupin sees when he gets up in the morning, Zenigata thought. Well, maybe not exactly this, he corrected immediately, when his imagination prompted the image of Lupin waking up next to Jigen and seeing his face first after opening his eyes.

Not that he never wondered if the two were sleeping together. After all, they were usually inseparable, practically where Lupin was, somewhere nearby was also Jigen. The gunslinger's orientation was no secret either. As for Lupin, Zenigata was never sure. He had never seen a thief openly filter with a man like he does with almost every woman he meets, but on the other hand, one would expect everything from him.

And even if he slept - the irritating voice in his head again decided to recall the vision of Lupin and Jigen waking up next to each other, sharing one blanket - would it mean anything?

Zenigata felt an uncomfortable tightness in his chest, as if he suddenly began to get stressed and soon became sad. He sat on the back of the armchair, surprised by his reaction. After all, what did he care, with whom Lupin slept and with whom he didn’t. Well, he should be interested in purely professional reasons. Lovers were always a good way to get close to a thief and catch him. So why at the thought of Lupin sharing the bed not with another nameless woman but with a man whom they both knew, he felt...

...jealousy?

Stupidity. He had nothing to be jealous of. And especially not about Lupin.

A picture of the thief returned to him, as he was just before the explosion, before his face contorted in terror. With those glowing eyes, a gentle smile, devoid of any mockery.

He would like to be able to see such Lupin more often.

And he will definitely see when this idiot finally pays his debt to society, when he sits behind bars. Only then will they be able to go together for a drink as an equal and maybe then Lupin will look at him with the same flash in his eye.

Of course, dreams are only dreams. After all, there is no option for Lupin to ever serve his sentence, probably in some countries counted in hundreds of years. Besides, what would Zenigata himself do at that time? If he lost his goal in life, he would end drunk and in tears, waiting for the slightest sign that Lupin was going to run away so that the race would start all over again.

"Do I have something on my face or do you just like to watch sleeping men?"

Jigen's voice snapped Zenigata out of his mind. Absorbed in his thoughts about Lupin, he did not even realize that all this time he was staring into the face, as it turns out, already woke up gunslinger.

"I was thinking," Zenigata replied, looking away to the side. He hoped he didn't blush, though he felt his cheeks became hotter. He would have liked to hide under his hat, but it, along with the coat and the rest of the laundry, was still hanging on a rope stretched out behind the house.

Jigen smiled his knowing smile, then sat down and stretched. He could hear his bones crunched, stiff after spending the whole night on the hard couch.

“So intense thinking before the first coffee? Don't you overwork yourself, old man?”

Jigen smiled again and Zenigata snorted. He's not that old yet. Right? 

"Ah, coffee, coffee, coffee ..." Jigen said, rising, accompanied by the subsequent sounds of crunching bones. “Come, you will prepare rice for Goemon and I will do something more nutritious for us.”

This something turned out to be scrambled eggs on bacon, preceded and finished with strong coffee. When Jigen returned to the kitchen to fill his cup for the third time, Goemon entered the house.

"You’re back" Jigen said, standing in front of the coffee machine to take another portion of caffeine.

"We have a problem," Goemon said.

“I agree. We have to buy a new coffeemaker, this one makes too weak coffee.”

Too weak?

Zenigata looked into his cup, at the bottom of which a few sips remained. He was a fan of strong coffee, but if it was too weak for Jigen, it is dread to think what would be appropriate.

“Lenormand is here.”

Zenigata spat on himself and Jigen released the button on the coffee machine too quickly, setting "strong" instead of "extra".

“What is he doing here!?”

“I think he is stealing our car.”

“What!?”

Jigen and Zenigata immediately ran to the window.

“Is he alone?” Jigen asked, slightly opening the curtain. A man was crouched beside Fiat, inspecting the front tire. His silhouette was hidden under a red coat, the inspector's trademark.

“Apparently. I have not seen any of his people.”

“Why would Inspector Lenormand steal your car?” Zenigata asked, lowering his voice, though it was impossible for the man outside to hear him.

"It isn't exactly ours, actually," corrected Jigen. He had already pulled out his revolver, and eyes emerged from beneath his hat, chained to a policeman. "We stole it before the last robbery because we needed a small car."

Zenigata nodded. Now the presence of Fiat had some sense. Neither he, nor Jigen, and especially nor Goemon would have voluntarily chosen such a conspicuous and impractical vehicle. Only then why was the car so familiar, so similar to...?

He jerked, moved by the sudden thought, and turned his eyes back to Lenormand.

"Impossible..." he whispered.

His eyebrows rose almost impossibly up and his mouth remained open in expression of boundless amazement when tears came to his eyes.

Lenormand straightened up and though he was standing with his back to them, Zenigata had no doubt.

“LUPIN!” he exclaimed in a cracking voice. 

“Shut up!”

Jigen immediately covered his mouth with hand and pulled him away from the window. He barely took his hand from Zenigata's throat, another loud "LU-!" came out, transformed into vague gibberish as the gunslinger's hand returned to its place.

“Are you insane?! Jigen snapped at him. Although the car was not standing near the window, the loud voice of Zenigata could still reach the policeman's ears. "Goemon," he said to the samurai, who was still standing by the window watching the policeman. “Fucking hit him in the head if he starts screaming again.”

The samurai nodded and adjusted the grip on the sword scabbard.

Jigen slowly released Zenigata and wiped his wet hand on his shirt. This time the man made no louder sound than sniffing, and Jigen wiped his hand once more, suddenly raising doubts as to whether it was only tears.

“What happened to you all of a sudden!?” Jigen hissed. Some kind of panic attack? Or instead of getting better, it only got worse overnight. And he thought that crying and screaming were already behind them. 

He sighed and adjusted his hat. Zenigata's lips moved almost silently, but Jigen could hear the name repeated over and over again.

Lupin.

"Jigen," Goemon said, looking outside. “He will be leaving soon.”

“Let him go, we'll have to leave either way, because he'll probably bring in more cops. And we were supposed to get rid of this car today anyway. The loot is in the safe, so-” he stopped and looked at Goemon. “You took the loot out from the trunk, right?”

“No, Zeni always does it. “ 

They both looked down at Zenigata sitting on the floor, then at each other.

“Our money!” Jigen shouted. They heard the sound of the engine starting, but before any of them could even move, Jigen felt a revolver pull out of his hand. “Hey!” he only managed to brush a scrap of Zenigata's sleeve as he started running to the door.

“Stop it, Lupin!”

Zenigata was running, though he could have sworn he was floating a few centimeters above the ground. Lupin existed in this world, he lived, he was here!

Fiat has already started, but it had not yet gained speed. Zenigata kept aiming and shot towards the rear tire. Accustomed to his Colt, he missed the first, but hit the target the second time. Although the car didn’t stop, it slowed down enough that he could get on it, clinging to the wiper. He pulled himself up and climbed the roof, clinging to the edge so as not to fall, although neither the bumpy road nor the driver made it easy for him. Slowly, he moved more and more forward until he could see through the windshield.

The man behind the wheel, although he had glasses on his nose, stubble on his chin, and hair maybe a little longer than usual, was without doubt Arsene Lupin III. He said something, but because of the wind around him and the sound of the engine Zenigata had no chance to hear anything. And he didn't care much about it.

The smile did not leave his face, even when the car jumped on a stone, and he with it, while moving even more forward, now covering most of the windshield with his body. He watched Lupin trying to lean out in all directions to see even a scrap of the road ahead. Finally he opened the window and, sticking his head out through it, shouted irritably:

“What are you doing, Moneta!?” 

"I'm not Moneta," Zenigata replied, grinning. Lupin's confused expression was perhaps worth all the money, but not the collision that occurred when the driver stopped paying attention to the road. 

Fortunately, Fiat only skidded alongside a tree, but it was enough for him to fall out of the way, which thrown Zenigata into the air. The man successfully landed safely a few meters from the car, now wedged between two conifers.Lupin was trying hard to get it out, trying to move in any direction, but unfortunately his only achievement was to bury the car's front tires in the mud. Finally the engine stopped and Zenigata gathered himself from the ground and now, aiming with a revolver, he slowly approached the car.

“Give up, Lupin. You have nowhere to run!”

These words, so familiar, caused him a wave of warmth that he thought he would never feel again. After all, it was supposed to be a world without Lupin, without a purpose in life, like the worst of nightmares. He even managed to accept it in some sense. He accepted the fact that it might take some time for him to come back to his world, that he would first have to confront Mehler and discover how he even came to an alternate reality.

And yet he was aiming at the monkey thief's head emerging through the sunroofs.

"Let's get two things clear," Lupin said, raising his hands. “First of all, the whole ‘Give up!’ and ‘You have nowhere to run!’ are my lines. And secondly, I think you have the beginnings of Alzheimer's, old man, since not only you can't remember your enemy's name, but also has some identity problems, because, if I remember correctly, you were ‘Moneta" during our last meeting.”

The voice of the thief adorned in seemingly cheerful and frivolous tone reached Zenigata with some delay. Everything around seemed suddenly unreal, and the only anchor in reality was a smile on Lupin's lips, dripping with confidence. Zenigata clung to him and completely focused his eyes on this one thing, managed to move legs made of cotton wool, which somehow replaced his own. The revolver was too heavy and too stranger to shoot now, but he still didn't lower his trembling hands.

Because he was here.

Zenigata didn't have to pinch his cheek, because after falling he was sore, to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He was really aiming at Lupin.

He felt so much at once that he couldn't stand it and started laughing loudly. Tears ran down his face, but he didn't care. He could see Lupin and nothing else mattered. 

“Wow, old man, are you all right?” he heard the question. “You know, maybe you shouldn't aim at anyone now, we don't want your finger to slipp.”

Because the picture began to blur, Zenigata wanted to wipe tears with his sleeve, and then several things happened almost simultaneously. Lupin, taking advantage of the fact that Zenigata took one hand from the revolver and lowered it slightly, immediately pulled his weapon from the holster, but before he could use it, a shot sounded, and Walther soared into the air, landing in the nearby bushes.

“What the fuck are you doing!? Why did you run after the car!?” breathless Jigen ran to Zenigata, aiming the Colt at Lupin. “And give her back!”

Without waiting for Zenigata's reaction, he snatched his revolver and pointed both barrels at the thief, still half-protruding from Fiat.

“Lenormand. Did they pay so badly at Interpol that you have to earn some extra money by stealing cars?” Jigen switched to English and smiled crookedly. 

"I don't steal, I only regain my property," Lupin answered, returning the smile. 

Zenigata laughed again.

“Is he okay?” Lenormand asked, seemingly conspiratorial, lowering his voice slightly. Jigen shrugged. 

“Not quite lately.”

“Don't you understand, Jigen?” Zenigata asked, still laughing and covering his eyes with his hand. “That's how the police knew where you were! You stole his car for the heist! Transmitter! The transmitter was in the car!”

Well, everything matched. Lupin had an incomprehensible love for a small and impractical car, so of course he had a device installed in it that allowed him to be trace it at any time.

“Well that's great, since we've already explained that this is my car, maybe you can help me pull it out, and as a reward I will not arrest you at this moment, I will give five minutes to escape. What do you say?”

Lenormand turned, wanting to probably return to the driver's seat, but his movement was stopped by the blade of the sword. Goemon managed to sneak up from the other side and now put the blade to the policeman's thin neck, holding the rope in his other hand.

“Mr Samurai! I felt that someone was missing here!”

“Do nott talk. Stand still” commanded Goemon in English with his heavy accent and began to tie Lupin's wrists. 

“Firm as always! I have to admit that if it wasn't for the circumstances, I would have liked this situation” he raised his eyebrows suggestively, for which Goemon only tied the knot even more tightly and pulled the rope, forcing Lupin to go to the roof and then jump off to the ground. “You know, thief is a thief, but a kidnapping is a policeman... You are getting bolder, gentlemen. I wonder what's next? Rape, murder, recording VHS tapes and selling illegal copies at the market?”

“Do we have a gag?” said annoyed Jigen in Japanese, which did not stop Lupin's monologue. 

“Unfortunately. Although I could improvise something” offered Goemon. 

"If he doesn't stop talking in the next two minutes, you can stick a sword in his throat, I don't care, just make him stop babbling." 

“ I understand.” 

"And you," Jigen said to Zenigata, "you have completely lost your mind! Something could have happened to you! Or worse, something could have happened to her!” he pointed at his revolver. "And why did you suddenly start screaming about Lupin!?" 

Perhaps Zenigata should be offended by words suggesting that Jigen was more worried about his revolver than about the boss, but at that moment nothing could ruin his humor. The world could end and he would die with a smile and Lupin's name on his lips.

“Because this is Lupin! Can't you see, Jigen? It's him!”

Zenigata pointed at the man standing next to Goemon. He waved and smiled broadly, to which Jigen winced. The conversation was in Japanese, so he doubted their nemesis understood anything.

“Are you out of your mind? This is Lenormand. We told you about him.”

“Lenormand is Lupin! Just as Zenigata is Moneta!

“Lenormand is Lenormand!” shouted Jigen, irritated. He did not lower his weapon, but turned more toward Zenigata and took a step toward him. “We checked him as soon as Interpol assigned him to us!”

"Then you checked him wrong!" 

"Listen," Jigen, increasingly pissed off, was about to describe his friend's mental state with profound epithets, but the annoying giggle forced him to turn back to the monkey inspector. He, leaning against the back of Fiat, was obviously having fun, listening to the argument. “What are you laughing at? Maybe we will laugh together?” Jigen said in a voice that suggested he didn't want to laugh anytime soon.

“Everything!” Lenormand replied in Japanese, spreading his arms wide. It was only then that both Jigen and Goemon realized that he had somehow managed to free himself. The samurai immediately drew his sword. Lenormand, on the other hand, making a theatrical move, pressed the button hidden inside the cuff and after a moment Walther materialized in his hand, attracted by a thin line, rolled up with a clever mechanism. “Everything!” he repeated and laughed aloud, ignoring the blade attached to his throat.

Goemon, clearly offended that the prisoner managed to free himself and regain his weapon, incredibly quickly waved his sword. The moment he hid it, Lenormand's glasses fell to the ground, falling into two symmetrical parts.

The man just chuckled again.

“As usual, your skills are at the highest level, Master Ishikawa, although I liked the glasses.” 

"You know Japanese, great," Jigen said, though the tone of his voice didn't indicate that he enjoyed the discovery. "So you can explain this idiot," he pointed at Zenigata with the Colt, "in his native language that your name is Andre Lenormand and you have been working for Interpol for five years, and for two you have been dealing with the Monet's gang case" 

"Oh, with the greatest pleasure," Lenormand pushed himself away from Fiat, straightened up and saluted, looking into Zenigata's eyes. “ Andre Lenormand from ICPO, at your service!”

“See?” Jigen exclaimed, pleased that he was right in this senseless dispute. Of course it could not be otherwise. As he said earlier, they thoroughly checked the inspector's past, moreover at the request of Moneta himself. They spent a week gathering out all the information about the young policeman and found nothing suspicious. 

His joy was premature, however. Lenormand lowered his hand and, without taking his eyes from Zenigata, bowed, saying:

“But also the grandson of the most famous French thief, sharing with his ancestor the profession and love to beautiful women, Arsene Lupin the Third, at your service!” 

For a moment there was a silence so intense that even the wind stopped, not wanting to disturb it. Everyone's eyes were on the smiling and apparently satisfied with the obtained effect Lupin-Lenormand.

“What the fuck?” Jigen finally said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest Lenormand wasn't supposed to appear so early, but suddenly Goemon said that he's there, stealing their car and I was like: "Ah, ok, so he's here".  
> By the way, it was easy to guess that Inspector Lenormand is this world's Lupin, if you have read 813 by Maurice Leblanc (◡‿◡✿)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see what Moneta is doing

It was wrong. Everything was wrong.

Moneta barely walked, staggering from time to time and leaning on trees growing along the road. He knew this path by heart, but for the first time he was forced to go by foot. In addition, evening was falling, all the shadows lengthened to finally merge into one and with the disappearance of the sun beyond the horizon, plunge the forest into total darkness.

He didn't know how much time he was going. He was pushed forward only by the vision of the cottage hidden from prying eyes, his favorite shelter and something closest to the word "home". He had to get there. Make sure this place still existed.

*

When he woke up in the hospital he was alone. He sat as soon as he understood where he was, what only made him dizzy. He had to close his eyelids and calm his breath before he could look around the room. It was a small one, dedicated for one patient and threatening with gray tiles on the floor and completely mismatched cream-colored walls. Next to the bed was a drip stand, a small bedside table with a hat on it, and a lonely chair with a coat hung over it.

Zenigata carefully stood up, afraid of dizziness. He felt pain around his ribs when he was moving, but he felt quite good except the confusion. His mind seemed too heavy, but he knew he had to run away as soon as possible. Being a famous criminal in public hospital couldn’t mean anything good.

He found his pants and shirt under the coat. Having ripped off a cannula, dressed and inspected the contents of his pocket. Instead of usually hacked coins from around the world, he found hidden handcuffs and...

He was holding his badge in trembling hands. It was more damaged than he remembered, but he had no doubt. That was it. Long ago, he tried to forget about it and what it represented, hiding it at the bottom of the safe. How did it suddenly land here?

He heard footsteps in the corridor, so he put the badge in his pocket and hid behind the door. However, no one entered the room, and the steps slowly faded. Zenigata exhaled in relief and looked around the room again. He went to the window and  gingerly opened the blinds. Too high to jump. The panorama of the city seemed familiar. He looked at the characteristic clock tower, probably belonging to the town hall, and suddenly it clicked. They were passing through this city fleeing from pursuit. In the narrow streets of the old town, they managed to lose last police cars and went on the wide road that led to this unfortunate motel.

The images moved quickly in his head like a slideshow. Motel, dinner, room, police, smiling Lenormand reaching out to him and suddenly the whole world falling apart, then darkness.

What actually happened? Why did anyone want to blow up a roadside motel? Was this ICPO? Lenormand somehow recognized him as an old agent and together with his superiors decided to get rid of him?

Nonsense. Lenormand was just as surprised by these explosions. There were shock and fear in his wide eyes. And a young policeman would never do that. Not if any civilians could suffer. Or Zenigata. At least it was something that Zenigata would like to believe.

Sure, they did hurt or shoot each other during pursuits, but it was only part of the game. He never did any serious harm to Lenormand, and so the policeman, despite many occasions, did not shoot to kill. They respected each other as rivals and did not want their harm, so there was no reason for it to be different this time. That is why Zenigata quickly guessed who was behind the motel explosions.

Mehler.

Of course, Lenormand, as befits a good policeman, told his supervisor that he managed to deprive Moneta of the mask. He also described his appearance, and it was enough for the former boss to associate the facts and decide this time to effectively get rid of the former ICPO agent, whose sudden return to the world of the living could thwart his career aspirations.

Okay, he knew who and why. Still, other questions remained. Why did he end up in hospital - instead of underground, for example? Where did the badge come from? And where the hell were Jigen and Goemon?

It was him and Lenormand who stood closest to the center of the explosion, so there was a chance that both Jigen and Goemon would not be hurt. So either they got caught and were iin the gods know which prison, or they managed to escape from the police and were now waiting in a safe place. Whatever the scenario was, Zenigata should first get out of the hospital and reach the shelter where they were supposed to hide after a successful heist and wait out police and media fuss.

He walked to the door and listened to the sounds coming from there. He gently pulled the doorknob and to his surprise the door opened, revealing an empty corridor with walls even uglier than those in the room. Really, no one guarded him? Although he should be happy about this, he felt disappointed and annoyed by Lenormand's attitude. After all, if he had caught the world-famous thief, he would not let him out of his sight! He would tie him to the bed, designate sentries not only in front of the room door, but also in front of the elevator, stairs and all exits from the hospital. He would probably sit right next to the thief all the time to make sure he wouldn't move from his bed even a step.

Yes, that's what Lenormand should have done. Why, then, did he leave Moneta without any guard? Even if something happened to the policeman during the explosion and he was also in the hospital now (which Zenigata did not even want to think about, he preferred to believe that he was the only victim in the whole situation) ICPO should somehow take care of his prisoner. Set at least a minimal guard, even if they thought that the unconscious and hooked to an IV would not escape them anywhere. Apparently, this organization was more and more falling to pieces every year.

Without meeting anyone, he went down the stairs to the ground floor and, waiting for two nurses to leave the coffee machine, walked to the building's evacuation plan. He looked around, trying to determine his location and decide which exit would be closest to. The decision was made randomly when he heard the signal of the elevator and by the time its door opened, Zenigata had already disappeared in the corridor leading to the back of the building. From there he went out to the employee parking lot and breathed in almost fresh air.

Everything was running too smoothly. What if all this was a trap set by Interpol? Maybe the transmitter was dropped over or he was followed, and they were waiting for him to lead them to the hideout and the looted money. Just in case, he threw everything out of his pocket into the bin, leaving only the badge. Though all his senses told him to get rid of it first, he couldn't do it. The memory of years ago came back to him, when he held the document in the same way over the bin, unable to force himself to loosen his fingers and release it from his hand. Now he also gave up and, cursing his stupidity, pressed the badge into the inside pocket of his jacket.

About ten cars were parked in the car park. Zenigata approached each one in turn and pulled at the door handles, until he came across a careless citizen who apparently had too much faith in the quiet nature of the town. Too bad, maybe the car's disappearance will teach them something. Of course, Zenigata promised himself, starting the car without a key, that he would return the vehicle as soon as he could. Maybe he will leave it in some parking lot and let the authorities know.

He found the main road and followed the same route as during the pursuit. The more he moved away from the hospital, the more confident he felt. He stopped looking at the mirror every now and then. If they are to catch him through a badge, it didn’t matter, along with Jigen and Goemon, they can handle everything. As long as they are together, neither ICPO nor any army will be a threat to them. Eventually, he'll reward them later. They will go to Japan for a vacation. Hot springs sound like something they would definitely use. 

Sometimes he wondered whether to quit it all and return to Japan permanently. Settle in a village forgotten by the gods, run a shop, bar or just live on the money accumulated over the years. It was too late to start a family, but maybe he could still live his life somehow.

As usual with such considerations, he thought of Goemon and Jigen. Just a few years ago, he would not even think that he could be friends with criminals. That he could start breaking the law himself. And now? Probably the entire Zenigat family was rolling over in their graves, seeing what their descendant was doing. However, despite remorse and awareness of being a black sheep of the family, Zenigata did not want to lose his current life. Retiring, or rather hiding for life from ICPO in collapsed villages, would mean parting with the only friends he had.

And there also was he. Lenormand.

Having warmer feelings for his enemy was not wise, but Zenigata could not help it. He would miss him too. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like if he stayed in Interpol and Lenormand became his partner.

Ah, dreams.

Zenigata was tempted to get to the motel or what was left of it, but he knew it was too risky. Journalists or policemen could hang out there, and he definitely wouldn't want to run into them. He could not risk his face accidentally appearing in some media, and officers could be on Mehler's service.

He passed the exit and continued on the dual carriageway. There were at least a hundred kilometers to the gas station, and from there a few dozen more through the less-frequented routes and finally off-road to his beloved, fairy-tale hut.

*

The car twitched on uneven surfaces, sometimes more like gravel than asphalt. The music radio that he listened to all the time was more and more silent, so he started searching the frequencies and found a regional station. At times he had the impression that there was more the announcer’s talking than music, but he did not turn off the receiver. A full hour was approaching and a jingle announced the news. After global and national generalities, the time has come for the local ones. The motel explosion was only mentioned, limiting itself to the words that "the services are underway trying to determine the cause of the incident."

“And now about the last heist of the famous Arsene Lupin the Third,” announced the announcer. Zenigata raised his eyebrows and turned up the radio. He heard the name for the first time. Although not, he had once read a book about Arsene Lupin. Was this a radio play? But there was no jingle finishing the news. “As police confirmed, a million euros were stolen from the safe and the criminals managed to escape.”

"Yes, the pursuit failed," another voice said. It was clearly heard that the statement was recorded somewhere outside the studio. Zenigata was convinced that he knew the voice, but he could not associate it, so he got it a little louder. "But that doesn't mean I'll give up! I will recover the money and catch Lupin!” Zenigata looked at the radio. He definitely knew the voice. “Can you hear me, Lupin!? I will catch you! LU-” the statement was abruptly stopped, and Zenigata suddenly got a glare. His eyebrows went up high and his lips softly said, "Nonsense."

"Of course," the announcer said again. “This was full of energy as usual, well-known Lupin specialist, Inspector Koichi Zenigata from Interpol.”

“WHAT!?” Zenigata shouted. Because he had been staring at the receiver all the time, he did not notice a sharp turn, and when he realized that he had just heard his own voice on the radio, the car fell off the road straight into the ditch. Airbags deployed, and the belt stuck Zenigata even more into the chair. All this lasted only a few seconds. Zenigata's brain did not manage to process everything, and the announcer on the radio continued his broadcast.

“Recall - yesterday afternoon Lupin the Third together with his partners Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa broke into the bank and, as we managed to confirm, robbed the safe belonging to Professor Zeitman. The victim and family refuse to talk to the media. And now the weather…”

Zenigata turned off the radio. He rested his head and closed his eyelids. He could hear his own heart beating and his thoughts couldn't make sense. He didn't know how long he was sitting so still, trying to sort out the chaos in his head.

It seemed that he would not be able to give the car back to the owner. Maybe he should at least write down the registration numbers and pay for damages?

He laughed at this ridiculous thought. This was not the most urgent matter. After all, the sound of his own laughter (or rather a single snort, because only this managed to get out his throat) allowed him to overcome numbness. He scrambled out of the car and, wincing in pain, came to the conclusion that now his bruises must have their own bruises. Serves them right.

He looked for a moment at the car brutally stopped by the trench. He had no way of moving it in either direction, but maybe if he took Jigen and Goemon to help, they would somehow manage to pull the unfortunate car.

" (..)  _ Lupin the Third with his partners Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa (...)  _ "

The announcer's voice echoed in his head.

*

The last section of the road was the hardest. The road climbed up, sucking energy from Zenigata more and more. At the same time, however, each step brought him closer to his goal. He wasn't sure if this glow of light was merely a figment of his imagination or maybe it was already close enough.

Although he tried very hard not to think and focus only on walking ahead, he did not do it very well. The announcer in his head did not want to remain silent, repeating the same sentences over and over again.

_ "Of course, this was full of energy as usual, well-known Lupin specialist, Inspector Koichi Zenigata from Interpol." _

It was all wrong. After all, he could not be well known, he also had no idea who "Lupin" was, since apparently not the hero of old French books. But above all, for many years the title "inspector" did not appear in front of his name, and he’d like to stay as far away from the Interpol. Besides, what would mean that Jigen and Goemon were partners of Lupin the Third? They were Moneta’s partners! His accomplices, his friends.

Finally he arrived.

Zenigata was breathing heavily, but he stopped only for a second before he started running. He passed a parked toy car, the same yellow Fiat they had stolen especially for the last action, and burst into the house.

“Jigen! Goemon!” he shouted, opening the door wide.

“Yo, Pops, it's nice that you came by!”

Moneta froze, with sword blade at throat and Magnum barrel at temple. He didn't have to turn around to know who these weapons belong to. He did not understand, however, why they were directed against him. And above all, he did not understand why on an armchair perfectly facing the door, with a wide smile on his lips and a glass of wine in his hand sat…

" ... Lenormand," Zenigata said quietly.

Lenormand's smile twitched and his attitude suddenly changed. He leaned forward, and the cheerfulness and freedom he had emanated had disappeared somewhere.

“Lenormand?” Jigen said, and Moneta looked at him. He looked as if he had just woken up from a nap. The hair and beard were messy, the tie barely passed over the neck and the hat slightly tilted. Although it was the same broad smile that Zenigata knew so well, something was wrong with the gunslinger's gaze. “Haven't you hit your head too hard recently?”

"The building collapsed on him, maybe he got stray brick in the forehead," Goemon said. The samurai also looked normal, maybe he was just a little more tired, and the slightly pink cheeks indicated he was drinking alcohol.

“Right. Sorry for leaving you there, but you understand, the million in the trunk couldn't wait for the cops to get to us.”

Although Jigen shrugged, the hand holding the revolver did not change its position. Zenigata did not believe that his friend was able to shoot him, so he boldly took a step forward. The sword's blade gently cut the skin around his neck, just enough for a single drop of blood to run down.

He turned around and before the men could react, he pulled them close, hugging them. He heard Lenormand spitting wine behind him.

“It’s good that nothing happened to you! What's going on here? Why is Lenormand with you?” he pulled away to be able to look into the eyes of his friends, but the only thing he found there was a misunderstanding. Goemon immediately took a few steps back to reach out of range and gently raised his sword, letting him know that one wrong move, and there would be more blood. Jigen also pulled away.

“Oi, Lupin, Pops has already completely lost his mind, take care of him!”

“Lupin?” repeated Moneta.

"(..)  _ Lupin the Third with his partners Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa (...)  _ "

Suddenly everything clicked into place. Hospital, badge, radio broadcast, Lenormand at his home.

His legs refused to obey him and he fell heavily to the floor. As if from behind the wall he heard the worried voice of Jigen and Lenormand responding something to him, but he could not even distinguish individual words. He felt as if his body just now decided to bear the consequences of today's efforts. He had no strength to do anything, especially not to think that he was transferred to another world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small break from our regular Zenigata, he'll come back in next chapter, along with Lenormand and a lot of talking.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jigen and Lenormand's POV

The peculiar procession returning to the hut consisted of a furious gunman walking in front, smoking another filter-free cigarette; joyfully whistling policeman who came from an alternative reality, clutching a rope in his hand, entwining in the waist of a local policeman. At the end the samurai walked, carrying a previously forgotten bag full of money, keeping his eyes glued to the prisoner's back to make sure that this time he would not be able to disentangle himself.

Jigen would probably be less surprised if Goemon turned out to be "Lupin" than trying to match up to the tune of Zenigata Lenormand. They tracked the inspector's entire biography two years ago, and in addition, half a year ago, they repeated the process more precisely. In their heads a picture of a man not contaminated by any, even the smallest crime was created. In general, the policeman's career seemed to be intended for him. His grandfather for a time held a high position in the structures of the Paris police, and in his account he had unravel many of the famous cases at the time, so it is not surprising that the grandson wanted to follow in his footsteps.

But why, then, did he claim to be Arene Lupin, the third of this name?

Jigen glanced over his shoulder, and the wide smile on Zeni's face suddenly reminded him of one small detail - it wasn't his Zeni. Despite the same appearance, similar character and habits, this man was not his boss and friend. 

When he first woke up in Fiat and started shouting some stupid things, Jigen was only afraid that Zeni had lost his memory, and Lupin might just be one of the criminals he was chasing while he was still at ICPO. But then he wouldn't know Jigen or Goemon. What was left then? Brainwashing? When and by whom? So they had to acknowledge this crazy and essentially stupid theory that their Moneta had swapped places with Inspector Zenigata from the alternative world. 

And now, when they finally came up with any idea where to start, to unscrew it all, he appeared. 

Lenormand. 

Or maybe Lupin, if he preferred to be called by this name.

Before him, each of the inspectors assigned to the case of the Moneta gang resigned or was dismissed after a few months, and he has already stood for two years. He clung to them like a flea to a dog's tail and did not intend to let go. With each subsequent attack he was getting closer to success, and finally he managed to get close enough to take off Monet's mask in the struggle and see his face. And the last thing, that ended with unlucky explosions at the motel? 

It was supposed to be a simple job - a safe, and in it a million euros, the property of a too rich gentleman, apparently some physicist, but it's hard to believe that a scientist would have such an amount of money. And everything went smoothly about half the packing of banknotes into bags. Then it turned out that in addition to money, the safe also contained suspicious objects in the form of three dark blocks the size of a chocolate bar and two vials. Zeni picked up one of them and, after carefully examining it, put it in his coat pocket, which, as it turned out during the pursuit that began shortly afterwards, was not a very good idea. They managed to escape, but unfortunately taking only just over half a million euros with them. The rest of both the banknotes and these strange things had to be abandoned to the police. 

Police in the shape of Inspector Lenormand. 

Now, though, it was explained why the law enforcement officers found them so quickly when they stopped for lunch at the motel. But how could they know that Fiat, registered as a Russian citizen, Alexei Sernin, really belonged to their most ardent enemy? And why didn't he claim his property right away? He could have picked them up before the robbery, since he knew the location of the car. Now he also, without any support, crept into the hideout of criminals. Was this Fiat so important?

Whatever, fuck this car. It’s small, ugly and yellow. The owner was definitely more important. 

The monkey-faced policeman got on Jigen's nerves almost as much as the damned Mine Fujiko. He was irritated by his smile, voice, laughter and overconfidence. Although he was just a prisoner of criminals wanted all over the world, he looked like he was having fun. Was he too stupid to realize his situation? Or maybe he had a plan in his pocket and was just waiting for a convenient moment to run away or call for reinforcements?

Jigen changed the grip on the revolver, checked the magazine and spun it.

They should tie this monkey officer to a tree and get out of here as soon as possible. Although this cabin in the woods was their favorite safe place, as a hideout it was already completely useless. They must take all papers, pack whatever they need and run as far as possible. Maybe to some warm countries, take a vacation, living on the money saved for years. 

A vision as tempting as it was unreal. 

He sighed heavily, pushing aside the picture of drinks sipped on the beach. For now, he would have to settle for the rest of the whiskey and Asahi if Goemon didn't drink everything. Therefore, the first thing he did after reaching the cottage was to add a large portion of alcohol to the cold coffee left next to the coffee machine.

Zenigata seated the prisoner on the couch, taking his own place next to him, without letting the rope out of his hand. Goemon sat on the other side, his hand still on his sword hilt. 

Zeni tried to look relaxed, but Jigen could see his every muscle was strained. The wide smile glued to his lips reached for his glittering eyes, wandering around Lenormand, as if trying to remember every detail of a man. It was a nice change after the last days, full of empty glances and tears.

It wasn't the first time Jigen saw Zeni in despair. Just yesterday he was observing an alternative version of a friend who, after moving here, was sure that he lost purpose in life. Four years ago, after the heist in Russia, after which Monet gained his nickname, he had to look at a broken man betrayed by an institution he trusted most in the world. Although he laughed and enjoyed with them, imperceptibly escaping with looted jewelry, his eyes were blank. As if committing a crime not in the service of law or undercover, but for their own benefit, something in him died, as if he had lost a part of himself.

He stayed in this state for a long time, slowly reconciling with the new reality. However, he never complained. He said that he had chosen this path himself and did not intend to abandon it. He was drowning all remorse in alcohol, and while sinking into work and planning further heists, he would not let them speak in moments of sobriety.

Only recently has his eyes regained their full splendor. By assigning Lenormand to their case, Zeni had to come up with more and more complex plans. He was impressed by the young inspector's skills and, when he drank too much, he couldn’t stop praising him.

While he was thinking about it now, Jigen concluded that he should have thought earlier that Lenormand was the local version of Lupin. After all, when Zenigata talked about his enemy, the same fires of passion burned in his eyes that appeared every time drunk Moneta talked about Lenormand. However, he was so blinded by the ideal biography of a policeman that he did not even think about suspecting him of being "Lupin".

“You've done a good job here,” Lenormand said, looking around the interior curiously. “Three guys living together and a layer of dust has only two millimeters. I'm impressed, gentlemen.”

“Fuck off, "Jigen said, praying only for a moment of silence.

“As you wish,” Lenormand shrugged, and with that movement the rope wrapped around him slid smoothly to the floor. Unfortunately, he could not see the comical surprise on Jigen's face, because he immediately jumped over the sofa and rushed to leave. The hand stretched out towards the door handle was almost brushing freedom when it was suddenly pulled back. Quiet “Ara?” broke out of his throat, looking at the handcuffs closed on his wrist. He didn't know what was worse. That these were his own handcuffs, it is not known when stolen from the inner pocket of the coat or maybe the fact that the end of the string attached to them was in the hands of laughing Moneta.

“I caught you, Lupin!” he shouted pleased. “I knew you'd try to escape!”

Lenormand let himself be pulled back toward the couch, though it would not be a problem to drop those handcuffs. He decided to play a prisoner a bit longer. Zenigata was too interesting. Why did he deny that he was Moneta? Why was he acting crazy? And most importantly - how did he know about Arsen Lupin?

He quietly returned to his place between Moneta and Ishikawa, while looking around the room, trying to remember as much detail as possible and catching everything that could help him later escape. 

There were empty dishes on the table with piles of paper underneath. Lenormand noticed that most of them were newspaper clippings. The only one close enough to read the headline was the first page of a French newspaper reporting another bold attack by Moneta's gang. So the proud thief collected articles about himself? Why, then, were they lying abandoned in the living room, and not arranged in some files or exposed on the walls? Apparently, Moneta didn't want to brag about them so much, but he kept them as a kind of chronicle and recently reviewed them, forgetting to put them back in place.

Lenormand rested his feet on the table and folded his arms behind his head. He wanted to look as relaxed and confident as possible. He knew from experience that this attitude irritated all torturers. It worked perfectly for Jigen and Ishikawa, while Moneta…

“Soon I’ll arrest you for violating my personal space,” he joked when Moneta got close enough to him that it would be enough to lean a few centimeters and they would collide with their noses. Zenigata muttered something under his breath, stepped back and... wait, did he blush?

Lenormand was too surprised to react properly (that is, make fun). Fortunately, it went unnoticed, because Jigen just sat on the second couch, with a mug of coffee with alcohol (or rather with alcohol with coffee) in hand.

“I wouldn't count on arresting anyone in the near future," said the gunman. “For now, we need to clarify a few things.”

“Right, right. For example, I would like to know how the famous thief Moneta is actually the long-dead inspector Zenigata Koichi.”

“I, on the other hand, would like to know why a flawless policeman Lenormand claims to be the grandson of a famous French thief.”

“Hmpf. Maybe we should throw a coin, who will tell their story first?”

Lenormand, with a smile on his lips, withstood Jigen's dripping murderous gaze. Suddenly he started laughing, kicking his legs and bending in half.

“Throw a coin! A _moneta_!” he exclaimed, clearly happy that he had made such a joke. Even Jigen snorted in spite of himself.

“There could be a problem with that,” said the gunslinger, a smile wandering somewhere in the corners of his mouth. It is difficult to say if his gaze still wanted to kill because his eyes were hidden under the hat. “because he's not Moneta.” he finished, pointing with his hand holding the mug at Zenigata. 

“That's right,” the man said before Lenormand had time to interject. “I am Zenigata Koichi from ICPO and I’m assigned to the case of Lupin the Third.”

Lenormand laughed loudly and put his hand on Moneta's shoulder.

“A great joke, gentlemen, really great! What is this supposed to be? Hidden camera? Are you involved in running a reality show now?”

Although Lenormand laughed and talked stupid things, his mind was at its peak. So not only Zenigata and Jigen claimed that man sitting here is not Moneta? Then who is he, if not a corpse, as the rest of the world think he is?

He remembered his superior's reaction when he gave sketch of Moneta’s face (that he made and was particularly proud of) to his superior. Mehler did not want to say anything and pretended that he did not know anyone who looks like that, but his facial expression was saying something completely different. He also took the sketch and hide in a desk drawer. All this only fueled Lenormand's curiosity and he felt downright disappointed when it only took him half a day to solve the mystery. 

He checked who had been assigned to Monet's gang case before him until he finally reached the restricted files from five years ago, before the gang even came into being. At that time, Jigen and Ishikawa were already working together, but they were not thieves, they were simply weapons for hire. One smile and a pack of chocolates and the lady working in the archive gave him access. All he had to do was look at the picture of former Interpol agent Zenigata Koichi to know that he had seen that face after ripping off Moneta's mask. Unfortunately, he did not read everything, but he managed to see something there - Zenigata worked undercover, first in New York, and then he was assigned to the case of Jigen and Ishikawa. Unfortunately, he died tragically in a fire four years ago while trying to provide reports. The last sentence, of course, turned out to be a lie. But why? Why did the policeman fake his death and join the criminals? For years he lived as Moneta and now he suddenly denies it, in addition saying something about Lupin...? 

Unless... unless it was it! 

Lenormand laughed that it took him so long to reach the solution.

“I think I would prefer it to be some shitty TV show,” said Jigen. He pulled a pack of cigarettes toward Lenormand. The policeman took one and before he could mention the fire, Zenigata was already holding a lit lighter. “You better make yourself comfortable, it's one of those stupid and longer stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you for all these comments and kudos!  
> There probably won't be new chapter next week, sorry about that. I have written 1,5 chapters in advance but I think I'll need one more before them (or maybe not, I have to rethink it) so no new chapter before I write it. The only thing I can promise you is more loopzoop in the future.  
> So, Happy New Year my dudes~!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me this pseudoscientific bullshit, but I had to explain dimension travel somehow.  
> Plus I described Lenormand's eyes as "grey", because I think this color suits Lupin perfectly. Eyes that changes colors with the light (and i think in the new CGI movie he has grey eyes?)  
> Thank you so much for comments, kudos and hits! I can't believe so many people read this fic and even like it!  
> And also tags has been updated. It's time to stop running away from calling this fic loopzoop.

Zenigata left the telling to Jigen and watched Lupin's face. His expression remained almost unchanged throughout the story. This expression of polite interest was shaken only in a few moments, including when Jigen mentioned the first heist of the Moneta's gang and travels between other worlds. Then Lupin looked at Zenigata and met his eyes when he smiled broadly. 

“I thought this story was more impressive,” concluded Jigen, seeing that Lenormand was less moved than he should have been.

“Oh, it was, it was! Travel between worlds? It's amazing! But I, unlike you, know exactly what happened and how to unscrew it!”

“Can you bring our Zeni back?” asked Gemon, who was silent till now. 

“And send me to Lupin?”

Zenigata leapt to his feet, and his enthusiasm seemed almost charming to Lenormand. What relationship did they have to have in the other world?

“How do you know what happened?” Jigen's skeptical voice apparently brought Zenigata down, because he returned to his place, as if slightly dim.

“Let me ask you one question - what was in the safe you recently robbed?”

Jigen and Goemon exchanged glances, then shrugged unanimously and said in one voice:

“Money.”

“And those weird things,” Zenigata interjected. “Vials and some blocks.”

“Bingo! These strange things belonged to Professor Zeitman, an outstanding physicist dealing with parallel worlds. Seriously, didn't you check it before the heist?” he asked, seeing the lost in the eyes of the other men. 

“Zeni usually does such things,” Goemon said. 

“We knew he was a physicist, but who cared exactly what he was doing?” Jigen added. 

Lenormand sighed, disappointed in not preparing of the interlocutors. 

“I will explain it as simply as possible: Zeitman managed to make a breakthrough, but he did not want to share it with the world and did not want to destroy his work of life, so he decided to lock it in a safe.”

“These things were supposed to be the work of his life?” Zenigata asked doubtfully. As far as he knew these blocks were just explosives, and the vials contained a liquid that apparently couldn't be completely washed off the coat. 

“Yes, that's exactly what they were meant to be. He managed to invent a mixture that somehow marks the DNA and by absorbing the right amount of energy can convert the particles into associated particles from a parallel world” seeing the lack of understanding in men, he only sighed and said: “The fluid was used to determine the target, and the explosion provided energy to enable travel to another world.”

“So it's all because Zeni broke one of those vials?” Jiegen asked, and when Lenormand nodded, he burst out laughing. “I can't believe it, so many problems because Zeni broke something again!” 

“Zeni's clumsiness once again caused us problems” added Goemon with a slight smile.

“Oi!” Zenigata wanted to somehow defend himself from this reality, but actually had no arguments. Finally he also broke the vial.

“So to unscrew everything we only need to pour this funny liquid on Zeni again and blow something up, right?” Jigen asked, and Lenormand nodded.

“It is not enough to blow up something. We need exactly the same explosives so that the energy supplied is the same. If we used something else, let's give it ordinary dynamite, of course there would be a transition, but Zenigata would end up in another world. In addition, time is still important. The first time it was lucky and the explosions occurred at the same time. However, if we now explode first, and the explosion on the other side differs even by hundredths of a second, the transition will occur again, as if it had not happened at all. You understand?”

Empty glances were enough for him to answer. He sighed.

“How could I not catch you for two years? Do you share one brain cell and is it with your Moneta in another world right now?”

“Bold of you to assume that we have one” said Jigen and specially stood up to give Goemon a high five, although samurai wasn’t pleased with this gesture. Seeing this, a quiet voice in Zenigata's head asked: "How could I not catch them for almost a decade?" 

The answer was very simple and had the form of an extremely intelligent monkey sitting next to him. Lupin was more than just a thief and boss of his group. Sure, Jigen and Goemon would also be hard to catch when they worked solo, but it wasn't until they worked with Lupin that they became elusive. Thanks to him, they used their talents to the limit, and where the deeds failed, he entered the stage. A master in his profession, able to get out of any situation, always having a plan or developing it on the run. Perhaps the best thief ever walked the earth. At least in his world. 

“All right, so we need these vials and Zietman bombs, right? Well, there is nothing to wait. We’re going to Interpol.” Jigen said and wanted to get up and gather to leave, but Zenigata's voice interrupted him.

“Wait, we need to clarify something first,” he turned to Lenormand. "You really are a thief, aren't you? And I'm not just talking about being "Lupin the Third", a descendant of Lupin. You really are a thief despite being in Interpol. I saw the clippings collected by Moneta,” he continued, not giving time to answer. "For some time he had suspected that some other thief was following them. I don't know if he realized it was you, but I'm sure of it, Lupin!”

“What?” Jigen wanted to remind everyone again that they had checked Lenormand's past twice, but he understood that it was useless when the policeman started laughing.

“You're right! Inspector Andre Lenormand by day, and Arsene Lupin the Third by night,” he joked. 

“What?” Jigen repeated. Sure, he knew that for some reason Zeni was collecting newspaper clippings not only about their assaults, but he thought it was just such a bizarre hobby. 

“Why?” Zenigata asked. “Why, even being a policeman, are you still stealing?” 

Zenigata was disappointed. He thought he met a better version of Lupin in this world. A version that does not break the law, but which guards it. A version he could approach, make friends with, and even... maybe... 

But what did he expect. Apparently Lupin is Lupin in every possible dimension. Here he simply adopted a different tactic. He did not make himself a star and media hero, he acted more quietly. 

Lenormand made a strange sound, like the one in a quiz, when a wrong answer is said.

“Wrong question. The correct one should be: Why, being a thief, am I a policeman? And the answer!” he exclaimed, not giving anyone time to react. “Because of you!” He pointed at Zenigata, who blinked a few times in response and also pointed to himself.

“Because of me?”

More precisely because of Zenigata from our world, but since he is not here, no one will be offended if I blame you!”

“I’ll be!” Zenigata protested.

“That is a sacrifice I am willing to make! Now listen!” Lenormand stabbed Zenigata in the chest and continued his argument in an irritated voice “For personal reasons my thieving debut had to be delayed, but when everything was ready, the plan refined, nothing but steal, I find out that some amateur with his sidekicks,, so-called “Moneta”, managed to wrap tsarist jewelry from under my nose! And this is not the end!”

Lenormand got up and started walking back and forth, gesturing a lot, despite the handcuffs still hanging sadly from his wrists. Zenigata watched him with his mouth involuntarily open. He would be a thief of the same caliber as Lupin? The very idea that there was a world somewhere where he wasn't a policeman was crazy enough, but that? It was beyond human comprehension. And that because of him Lupin lost his opportunity to gain fame as a thief?

“I wanted to wait it out,” Lenormand continued. “The moment of fame will pass and then I will come on stage, all in white! Or green, I used to wear green then. Doesn’t matter. What is really important, that waiting for a convenient moment I would wait forever! For some reason, the audience loved you too much! So what was I supposed to do? "I'll catch the bastard," I thought, "and force him to give up being a thief!"”

“Are you saying that you joined ICPO just to convince Zeni that he should stop being a thief so that you could become famous?” Jigen shook his head in disbelief. Have they really been chased by such an idiot for the last two years?

“It sounded better in my head,” Lenormand murmured. “Moneta has made such a media hypethat even if I stole the Statue of Liberty I would be compared to him in the first place!”

Jigen started laughing so loudly that Lenormand jerked involuntarily, not expecting such an explosion. Even Goemon abandoned his pose of a serious and dangerous killer for a moment, echoing the gunslinger. Only Zenigata did not share this joy.

“Nonsense,” he said, cutting off laughter. “You are Lupin. You would steal the Statue of Liberty, and if that wasn't enough, you would also steal the Eiffel Tower, Jesus of Rio and Tokyo Tower. You would find the fucking El Dorado, as long as they start talking about you.”

Each word spoken was filled with ever greater certainty. Zenigata was a specialist in Lupin. Of course, he did not know everything about him, the more he could not predict what was in the head of this idiot, but one thing he was sure - if Lupin only wanted, nobody and nothing would stand in his way to becoming the most famous thief of his time. What he did here, stealing perhaps interesting but small things, was only a faint shadow of his skill.

“You complain about Moneta, that you didn't gain fame because of him, but you also did nothing to regain space on the pedestal,” he made a short pause. Lenormand stood in front of him, unnaturally still, so different from the lively, constantly gesturing policeman he was just a moment ago. Gray eyes looked cold, almost dispassionate. “You like playing this role of the good one. You like playing policeman and chasing Moneta.”

Zenigata withstood a heavy look. He felt that what he had just said was true. However, he knew Lupin. He knew that being "the Third" was his pride and he would never admit that there was something he would have given up for that title. Lenormand may not have been _his_ Lupin, he was not even a famous thief, but he still used the name, called himself _Lupin_ , even if he wore a different one every day.

At last Lenormand closed his eyelids and, with another breath, relaxed his arms. Zenigata heard Jigen and Goemon move slightly, probably being ready to draw their weapons at any time. One bad move by a policeman would be enough, and in the blink of an eye they would cross out all his chances of becoming a worthy name for the best thief in the world.

“I have to admit I'm impressed, Zenigata-san.”

_Zenigata-san_

Zenigata held his breath as the last words came. Lupin's voice sounded so unnatural... as if they didn't know each other, as if all those years of pursuit were worth nothing, as if they were strangers to each other…

And they were, in this world. 

Suddenly the truth hit him with such force that he almost felt physical pain. After all, he knew that Lenormand was not _his_ Lupin, but only now it came to him with all its might. He understood how Jigen and Goemon must have felt when they discovered that they had saved someone from the debris who only looked like their friend. He couldn't make them suffer any more, it was too cruel. He must bring Moneta back to this world. 

"You're right," Lenormand's words snatched Zenigata from those depressing thoughts. "Perhaps you are a better detective than a thief. Or you just know Lupin so well in your world. Any of these options is true, I am sorry to say you are right. At least partly. Working for Interpol is interesting, but not as much as being a thief. There is a lack of some dose of danger and creativity here... Therefore, as soon as I arrest Moneta, I’ll return to the right path.

“But this is the right path!” Zenigat said before he could stop himself. "You could stay in ICPO, you would probably be the best detective they've ever had, you could do so much good..."

“But that would be boring!” protested Lenormand, as if it were the most obvious obviousness. “Once Moneta is behind bars, I won't have anything interesting to do at ICPO!

“You'll find other interesting criminals!”

“I don't want others! I want Moneta, I want to arrest his heart!”

Lenormand and Zenigata stared at each other intensely. Zenigata did not even know when he stood up. He was now looking down into gray eyes, which in this light took on a slightly bluish hue.

Arrest his heart? Hadn’t Zenigata used the same words himself when talking about Lupin?

"Wow," Jigen said suddenly. “That's pretty gay.”

“Gay...?” Zenigata repeated like an echo, and when the meaning of the word reached him, he immediately took a step back and fell on the couch, his face all red. He couldn't see Lenormand because he covered his eyes, but he was sure he heard a strange high sound, like a squeak that came from the inspector's throat.

"Subtly as always, Jigen," Goemon said.

“Oh come on? Someone finally had to say it.”

“I do not think so.”

Zenigata slumped on the couch. The last three days have brought him so many twists, shocks and mini heart attacks that he has definitely reached the one-year or even five-year norm. His mind probably got used to it already, because he received the next revelation quite well.

So he fell in love with Lupin.

If you looked from the side and thought for a moment, it was obvious. He just always avoided thinking about it. Sometimes a small voice suggested things that were not quite right, and his mind, unable to sleep, gave him visions of Lupin, which he should never have seen. However, he always drowned out these thoughts, explaining that this obsession would end when he finally caught the thief. But it didn't go by. It didn’t matter if Lupin was temporarily behind bars, on the other side of the globe, next to him or in another world. Zenigata's thoughts kept coming back to him.

Unexpectedly, Lenormand cleared his throat and Zenigata looked at the man who looked like an almost perfect copy of his beloved. The image spoiled only this funny beard on the chin, which in its own way was quite charming.

"Anyway," Lenormand began. If Jigen's earlier remark in any way embarrassed him, there was no sign of it. “I can't catch Moneta because he is currently in a parallel world. That's why we have to join forces, how about it?

Jigen and Goemon exchanged glances.

"Sorry," Jigen said with a gentle smile, looking at Zenigata, "don't take it personally, but we prefer our version of Zeni."

Zenigata nodded.

“Sure, I would like to go back to Lu- I mean, to my world, I would like to come back,” he answered, lowering his voice more and more. Jigen smiled broadly in response.

“So are you in? Do we call it a truce until both Zenigatas are returned to their proper places?” asked Lenormand. Apparently the mere nods were enough for him to answer, because he clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Great!” with this gesture, the forgotten handcuffs fell to the ground, and Lenormand massaged his wrists. “Well, what are we waiting for? We must come up with a plan!”


	9. Chapter 9

Zenigata stood leaning against the wall and enjoying the midday rays of the sun. The collected laundry lay politely in the basket, and he inhaled deeply with the cigarette. He needed this moment of peace to be able to listen to his thoughts for at least a minute, without interference in the form of never stopped talking Lenormand.

Even by Lupin's standards, the policeman was too excited. He was gesturing all the time, laughing, and his mouth didn't seem to close for more than half a minute. He behaved like a five-year-old child while giving out Christmas presents, and the reason was very simple - after all, maybe for the first time in years he had the opportunity to plan something more interesting than simply stealing tinsel. Seeing how much joy this makes him, Zenigata even felt a slight remorse that it was through his counterpart in this world that Lenormand gave up all this. Of course, he immediately rebuked in his thoughts, because the policeman himself admitted that his current job also suited him. After all, he could resign at any time, and yet he had already devoted two years to the false life of an Interpol officer.

Lupin always did what he wanted, and here apparently his desire was to follow the elusive Moneta. Even at the expense of fulfilling his heritage the world's best thief.

And would he be able to give up the life of a policeman so that he could follow Lupin?

He never considered quitting his job because it was his whole life. If he did not pursue Lupin and fill in paperwork, he dealt with petty crimes. He had no family or home, only a few friends. He slept in hotels and offices or in the open air, if the investigation required it. Rarely did he eat well, he spent most of his salary on travel and cigarettes. Probably if he died of overwork, few people would care. It's a pretty pathetic life if you look at it from this angle. However, he did not complain. He followed the path marked by his famous ancestor and moral compass, always pointing towards justice.

And how'd that work out? So many years of police service so that an ambitious bastard would try to get rid of him? And all the smiles and comments that were once quietly cast, but louder every year? He got used to it and didn't attach much importance to them, but wasn't that the worst thing? Hearing the worst things about yourself so many times that you eventually get used to it.

He would like to be able to ask Moneta if he is happy. How can he look in the mirror everyday knowing that he is a criminal, the one he should catch? Does he apologize for this path to his ancestors every time he prays? Or maybe he doesn't care and lives free, having friends with him and determined Lenormand behind him?

He closed his eyelids and immediately saw the image of Lupin. Without glasses, idiotic beard, red coat and this icy gray look. Lupin in his bright jacket, with a wicked smile on his lips, reaching a hand to him.

Should he grab it?

Now that he understood that what had driven him for so many years was not a sense of justice (although it also had a share in it) or mere determination but the truest and most sincere love, the answer should be simple. He’ll grab Lupin's hand so that he won’t follow him anymore, but walk with him side by side. He had already sacrificed a lot to get closer to him at least a step, so why not abandon the last value, which held him in office? Since apparently justice has left Interpol, nothing will happen if he also leave.

It was not the first time when it was decided to get rid of him from the police or remove him from the Lupin case, and probably not the last. He always tried to explain it to himself, and he always won in these fights, but how long would he continue? It would make sense if he could follow the example of Moneta and do good on the wrong side of the law. Steal only those who deserve it and still deliver them to the police door. It didn't sound that bad, right?

He sighed deeply. Arriving in this world had caused doubts in him. He didn’t question his place in the world before, but now he tasted another life. If Moneta apparently did somehow manage, why should he not cope with remorse? If he had friends with him - because now he was sure that if he had the chance, he would be able to make friends with Jigen and Goemon - and beloved one, nothing would be impossible for him.

It was strange to think about Lupin like that. "Beloved". He would like to be able to call him that, looking straight into the gray eyes. He would like to never let him out of his arms, telling him how much he means to him.

But would Lupin also want that?

What if he gave up his life so that he would also be abandoned by Lupin? He didn't even know if the thief liked men at all! Even if, maybe he was already in a relationship with Jigen or Goemon? Or if he was free he would get bored after a while, considering that Zenigata was more interesting as an opponent than as a partner. What if…

“You think too much again?”

Jigen's voice suddenly came next to him. Zenigata opened his eyes, and the cigarette that had gone out some time ago fell out of his mouth. The gunslinger smiled and held out his packet of cigarettes. Zenigata gratefully accepted one.

“I have a lot to think about.”

“I guess. Not every day you realize that you love your mortal enemy, huh?” Jigen elbowed him strangely and laughed at Zenigata's face. “Not so difficult to guess what is going on in your head. But if this your Lupin behaves like Lenormand now, I don't know how you can be into him. I'm already pissed off, and how long is he here? Less than an hour?”

Zenigata looked at his watch.

“Fifty-six minutes.”

“Exactly.” 

There was a moment's silence as they were focused on their cigarette. Zenigata studied Jigen and his morning thoughts returned to him. Because what if in his world these two sleep together? They practically live together like a marriage. If Lupin is not straight, it would be logical to assume that he is in a relationship with someone he keeps with him all the time.

“What?” Jigen apparently sensed a glance because he spoke without changing his position. 

“Do you and Lupin... I mean Jigen in my world and Lupin... Do you think they…?” 

“Fuck?” Jigen finished helpfully and laughed out loud. “I don't know, I can't speak for him. I can only assure you that I’m not attracted to this monkey.”

“No?” 

“What, are you surprised?” Jigen laughed again, seeing Zenigata's shocked face. “Of course not. He is... too much,” he concluded for lack of a better word. 

Zenigata smiled. He was relieved to hear these words.

“Yeah, I understand what you mean.” 

Lupin really could be too much. Too loud, too agile, too smart and too untamed. His presence sometimes overwhelmed and tired. After all, both Zenigata and Jigen slipped away so that they could rest for a moment, and Lenormand was with them for less than two hours. So what did life with Lupin look like every day?

Zenigata would give anything to be able to find out.

“Let's go back, do not condemn Goemon to suffer there alone.” 

Zenigata nodded and picked up the laundry basket. He grimaced in pain, wondering how many bruises he would get after today's pursuit. If this goes on, his body will turn into one big bruise.

The view they found in the living room was exactly what they expected. Goemon sat cross-legged at the very end of the couch, unable to move further away from Lenormand. The policeman explained the chemical composition of the explosive, trying to engage the poor samurai in the conversation.

“We sent the sample to the laboratory,” - he said while drawing something on a newspaper slice lifted from the floor. “but the results will not come until next week, so I can not be 100% sure if my theory is true. What do you think, Ishikawa-san?” 

Fortunately, Goemon didn't have to give any answer, because Jigen interrupted:

“He thinks that instead of making no sense, you should say what you came up with.” 

“Oh, look who came! Mr. Grumpy, a fun destroyer, a represser of children's smiles!” Lupin said, feigning great indignation. “For your information, me and Goemon-chan were having a fascinating conversation, having great fun in our own company, because someone, without mentioning their names, decided to disappear for long minutes.” 

“ _Goemon-chan_ ?” repeated Jigen. “It was _Ishikawa-san a_ moment ago.” 

“Our relationship is developing very dynamically, right, _Goe-Goe_?” 

Apparently, "Goe-Goe" thought differently. When Lenormand wanted to put his arm around him, he drew his sword. Only the flash of the blade was visible before the tuft of dark brown hair fell to the ground.

“I cut something worthless again." 

“My hair isn’t worthless!” Lenormand protested, touching his head. His hair did not suffer much injury, it was only slightly trimmed at the top, which made his head appear more square. Jigen laughed out loud and sat on the other couch. Zenigata took his place next to him, glancing at what Lenormand was drawing. The black and white photo of Mehler was converted into a portrait of the devil, with painted horns, a tail and a pitchfork. Zenigata smiled gently at those childish scribbles. 

“Don't you know that it is unwise to tease an armed samurai?” Jigen asked with some satisfaction. 

"Unarmed as well," Goemon added.. 

Lenormand just gave them both an irritated look, then looked at Zenigata, who raised his hands in a gesture saying, "You asked for it yourself." The policeman crossed his arms and snorted.

"Once I catch you, I'll make sure you get life imprisonment in the worst possible prison." 

"Sure," Jigen replied dubiously. 

"There, there.." Zenigata interjected. “Can we finally hear what you came up with?” 

“Yes you can. However, I don't know if you deserve to know this secret knowledge.” 

Jigen rolled his eyes, but before he could speak, Zenigata assured:

“We definitely deserve.” 

Lenormand looked at him from under half-closed eyelids, then sighed theatrically and put a blank sheet of paper raised on one side on the table. Around the middle, he drew a rectangle, which he divided horizontally into several parts.

"Here," he said, marking the X at the bottom of the rectangle, "there is a warehouse with material evidence." 

Everyone leaned on the very schematic plan of the Interpol headquarters.

“So we have to get there?” Goemon asked. 

“Logically, yes,” Lenormand confirmed. “This is where the evidence in the Zeitman case should be kept. But it is not so simple. After all, these explosives were also used during the motel attack, so we can assume that someone has already stolen them from the warehouse.” 

“And by "someone" do you mean Mehler?” 

“Or one of his subordinates. Here is his office,” Lenormand has drawn the second X, and a bit further another. “And here is mine.”

“Yours? Do you want to boast that they do not make you work in a broom compartment?” said Jigen. 

"He wants to say that Mehler could have planted the evidence and blamed him for the motel explosions," interjected Zenigata before Jigen's unnecessary comment began a major argument. 

“Bingo! They were already trying to get rid of me in the motel because I figured out who Moneta really was, so it's quite possible that since Plan A failed, they would once more time try to put me behind bars. Everything so that the truth about Inspector Zenigata wouldn’t come out.”

Zenigata felt an unpleasant twinge inside. Because of him, or rather because of Moneta, Lenormand was in danger.

"But nobody arrested you, and after the explosion you ended up in hospital and signed off at your own request," Jigen said. 

“It's true. Which doesn't mean I can't be arrested as soon as I cross the headquarters threshold.”

Jigen sighed and leaned back, pulling a packet of cigarettes from his pocket.

“So in summary, we have no idea where to get the dimensional potion and bombs?” 

"Well, we have three options: either we'll be lucky and they are still in the warehouse, or they are planted in my office, or Mehler or one of his closest associates has them." 

"So we know nothing," said Jigen. 

“We know quite a lot!” protested Lenormand. “We just need to get to the headquarters and check all possibilities!”

“And I understand you already have a plan?” Jigen asked, blowing out a large cloud of smoke. The cloud seemed as dubious as the gunslinger himself. 

Lenormand snorted.

“Who do you think I am? Of course I have a plan! We need to make a fuss to get rid of as many people as possible and to get Mehler distracted.” 

Opposite the rectangle symbolizing ICPO headquarters, Lenormand drew a few other figures to symbolize nearby buildings. Above one of them directly opposite Interpol he drew a large exclamation mark. Zenigata thought about the map of the area. If this world did not differ much from its own, then Lenormand has just marked …

“Bank?” he said aloud. “A diversion is to be a bank robbery?”

“Bingo! This is the second today! Or third? Well done, old man! You are right, we will carry out a master attack right in front of the ICPO headquarters, it should definitely upset our poor boss,” Lenormand laughed, probably imagining Mehler's face, red with anger. 

“We will carry out?” Jigen asked. “You mean yourself and us?” 

“Not really. After all, I'm the inspector assigned to your case, it would be suspicious if I didn't show up at the scene, huh? That's why the two of you will deal specifically with the attack,” Lenormand pointed to Jigen and Goemon. “You have to be seen, after all everyone has to believe that the Moneta gang is behind the operation. At that time, the old man Zenigata will penetrate Interpol and check the warehouse and all other possible places.”

Zenigata nodded.

“I know this building like the back of my hand. At least the one in my world.” 

“We 'll talk about any differences. For now, let's focus on diversion,” Lenormand turned to Jigen and Goemon. “You'll need a pickaxe, shovel, chewing gum, vacuum cleaner and-” 

"Wait," Jigen interrupted. "I understand that you will obstruct normal police operations and distract Mehler. But what if, as you mentioned earlier, they arrest you as soon as you get there?”

"Well, then at least we'll know where are things we need and you'll have to get them back. Besides,” he said, a smile on his lips that could not foretell anything good. “I still need to contact one person, because I think that we will need a helping hand.”

The policeman chuckled and the other men exchanged worried glances. Zenigata was sure that no one who makes such a sound can have good intentions.

“Whose helping hand are we talking about?” Goemon asked cautiously. Lenormand raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Zenigata realized which gang member he had not met in this world yet. 

"Oh," came out of his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally reached the moment, when I don't have anything written in advance, which means the next chapter may be done next week or next month. Or next year, who knows.  
> I also think we have only 3 chapters left and I can clearly see the last scene of this fic in my head, so maybe we won't have to wait months for the update. I hope at least.  
> Anyways, thank you so much for all these hits, kudos and comments! I honestly never dreamed that my poorly written and then even poorlier transleted fic would have so many attention! You guys are the best.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again we're visiting Moneta.
> 
> Thank you so much for hits (more than 500??? how!?), kudos and comments! You can't imagine how glad I'm that my poor writting and translating skills are enough and actual people are reading my stuff! Thank you one more time!

Jigen and Lenormand seated him on the couch, and Goemon turned the armchair over and took the place. Moneta slowly recovered, although the unreality of the situation made him feel like he was asleep. The air was denser than usual and his head was heavier than it should be.

“What do you mean, he’s not Pops?” he heard Jigen's familiar voice. He was using the same tone when they argued about something and the gunsman was sure of his win. 

“...are you listening to me at all?” Lenormand asked irritably. The man disappeared somewhere in the kitchen and just emerged from there with a glass of water in his hand.

“I'm trying not to.”

Jigen shrugged, and Lenormand muttered something indecent. His expression suddenly softened as he turned to Zenigata and handed him the glass. Moneta received it gratefully and took a long sip. He coughed when he felt a fire in his throat instead of the expected cool liquid.

“Ara?” Lenormand took the glass from him and sniffed it, then grimaced and shoved it under Jigen's nose. “Seriously!? Why did you pour vodka into a water bottle!?” 

"First of all - why are you assuming it was me? Second - I don't know, ask last week’s Jigen," the gunslinger replied with a grin. 

"I don't think that Jigen could answer anything," Goemon interjected. "He couldn't even get to his own bed.” 

“Don't complain, I didn't take up that much space. 

The samurai did not change his expression, but his cheeks definitely revealed in whose bed last week’s Jigen landed.

Moneta felt like a viewer watching a remake of a famous movie. He seemed to know the characters in it, but the new actors interpreted them slightly differently. The issues they spoke, gestures and facial expressions - everything was correct, but yet so was different.

“Forgive those idiots, they have recently got together and sometimes they still behave like horny teenagers," Lenormand turned to Moneta, spreading his arms and shaking his head. 

“Are you jealous?” Jigen asked with a smile, standing next to Goemon and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"You wish," Lenormand replied and stuck out his tongue. 

Moneta opened his mouth in surprise. Jigen and Goemon together? Well, maybe they were into each other, but nothing more innocent jokes or innuendos happened. Or maybe it was only he who didn’t notice anything? Or it was another of the eccentricities of this world. The world in which Lenormand took the place of Moneta.

"Judging by your expression, their relationship is not so developed in your world," Lenormand said with a smile, turning to Moneta again. “Let's forget about them for a moment and start from the beginning, okay?” Moneta nodded, not quite sure what to expect, and Lenormand clapped his hands. “Great! You called me "Lenormand", right? Well, in this world I use a slightly different name: Arsène Lupin the Third, at your service” the man bowed and pulled out a business card from the inside pocket of his jacket. Moneta took it in both hands and examined it carefully. Made on good quality paper, with a pink, ornamental border and in the center an inscription: 

_Arsène Lupin the Third_

_A gentleman thief_

__

“What thief carries business cards with him?” Moneta murmured, causing Jigen to laugh. 

“The best one!” Lenormand-Lupin answered. Moneta looked at him doubtfully. “Oh, come on?”

Moneta shook his head. He closed his eyelids and took a deep breath before speaking.

“I am Zenigata Koichi, formerly an ICPO agent and now one of the most wanted thieves in the world, partner of Jigen Daisuke and Ishikawa Goemon, known as Moneta. 

He let it all out of his breath. He did not open his eyes until Jigen's said:

“Oi, Lupin, it’s about dimension travels you mentioned before the robbery?”

“Yes! So you listen to me after all!” joyful Lupin put his arm around Jigen. The gunsman freed himself from him, saying: 

“I just said I'm trying not to”

“So ...do you believe me?”

The men exchanged glances.

“Why would we not?” Lupin asked, shrugging. “We robbed the interdimensional travel guy, you don't act like you should ... 

“That means you don't yell "Rupan!" every half minute,” Jigen said. 

“...and from what I saw during the chase, Pops spilled on himself something from the vial, and since in the motel we had "Boom!" I assume that Mr. Zeitman managed to refine his formula.”

Earlier tension suddenly left Moneta's body, and he leaned back and closed his eyelids. He didn’t go crazy. He really moved between the worlds, and Lenor- Lupin apparently even knew how it happened. Perhaps he also knew how to unscrew it.

"Lupin," Goemon said. “How do you know that this is a journey between dimensions and not ... a repetition from Russia?”

“Repetition from Russia?” Zenigata repeated. 

“A few years ago our dear inspector lost his memory for some time and was playing a thief in Russia, with the nickname "Moneta". A funny coincidence, right?” Lupin explained, sitting down on the couch next to Zenigata.

"Moneta."

This name stuck to him by accident and only because the first theft he had made after his alleged death took place in Russia. At first, he was upset by this media fame and how much the press and television loved describing every Moneta’s heists. Later, however, he got used to it and even decided that it was good for him. After all, who would suspect that the former ICPO agent has become one of the most famous thieves of his time? At times he even enjoyed it. The media helped him to highlight all the bad deeds of the people who were his target.

“Ah, right! I remember that,” said Jigen. “Lupin was so unhappy all the time, because Pops not only didn’t recognize him, but outsmarted him several times as a thief.”

“I wasn't unhappy all the time!” 

"Right," Jigen agreed, nodding. “Actually, for most of the time you were drunk, and for the rest you were running, planning heists that failed because Moneta had beaten you to it.

Lupin crossed his arms and, more offended, sank into the couch.

"That's not true," he said in an offended kid's voice, which of course made Jigen laugh. 

"There is no point in denying since we have all been there," Goemon said with a gentle smile.

Moneta felt as if he had been removed from his own body and stood next to him. The scene seemed so out of place. Jigen and Goemon, holding hands and teasing Lenormand? And even though Zenigata knew that this was not _his_ world and that it was not the people he had known for years, he still felt an unimaginable burden inside. A bit as if he was forgotten by close friends and replaced by someone else. As if he was unnecessary to anyone.

“Lupin, you didn't answer my question.”

“How did I know it wasn't about memory loss? Besides, what have I already mentioned?” Goemon nodded and Lupin sighed and folded his arms behind his head.

"Lenormand," he said after a moment. “If Zenigata here didn't call me that, it would probably take me a little longer to get to the truth." 

“What's wrong with that name?” Goemon asked. 

“Sounds normal. For a French name, of course,” said Jigen. 

“Andre Lenormand," Moneta said softly. The name of his greatest rival, the only policeman who stayed in this position for more than a year. The only one who managed to predict and sometimes even stop heists. 

From the beginning, Moneta was impressed by the achievements of the young policeman, and as time passed, this admiration turned into sympathy. He loved those rare moments when at the crime scene or during the pursuit they managed to exchange a few sentences. When he could see a smug smile close up and listen to loud laughter.

Perhaps he wouldn't even mind being caught if Lenormand were to arrest him.

“Born on April 1, 19XX in Paris, names of parents: Armand and Saru, mother's maiden name: Mase. Paternal grandfather worked in the Paris police and the maternal family came from Japan.”

Lupin recited these facts in a monotonous voice, eyes closed.

“Why do you...?” Zenigata whispered. Everything was correct. 

"Oi, Lupin, don't say Lenormand is your real name," Jigen said. 

“No. This identity is a gift from grandpa.”

“A gift? How can identity be a gift?” Goemon asked. 

“The old man loved to give strange gifts,” a gentle smile appeared on Lupin's lips. Immediately, however, it disappeared, and the thief continued without opening his eyes. “During one of the arguments I wanted to say something that would hurt him. So I said that I didn't want to be a thief. That I would join the police and catch criminals like him. And you know what he said?” Lupin opened his eyes and leaned forward, resting his head on his hands. There was silence in the room, everyone listened to his stories, without daring to breathe louder. "He started laughing," he finished with a smile. “This old man laughed instead of disowning me. ‘The police are not so bad,’ he said. ‘At least a competent person would eventually join them.’" 

Jigen laughed.

“Grandpa gave me a file of documents for my next birthday. Birth certificate, ID, even school-leaving certificate” Lupin continued. “He said that if I ever wanted to become a policeman, I would need a proper name. And since he used to work in the police after fabricating Lupin's death, I should inherit his name.”

“So Lenormand’s grandfather, this former inspector Lenormand, whom I read in old newspapers is…”

“...no one else but Arsène Lupin the First, yes” Lupin finished Zenigata's sentence. 

“So that means you could stop being a thief at any time and start living like a normal person under the name "Lenormand"?” Jigen asked. Although his hat did not cover his eyes, neither of them nor the tone of the gunslinger's voice could be reveal how he felt. 

“In theory, yes. Which of course doesn't mean I'm going to do it! No no no! My current life suits me perfectly!”

"But Lupin in my world ..." 

“Well, yes, his story apparently turned out differently enough that he decided to use a grandpa’s gift.” 

So it's really a coincidence that in the world of Moneta Lenormand was who he was. If he followed a slightly different path, he would be the same as sitting next to Zenigata Lupin. He would wear bright jackets instead of his red coat, and being the best thief on Earth, he would have amazing adventures with Jigen and Goemon.

But who would he be then? Who would he become if he were not “Moneta"? If Mehler tried to kill him and he would not have the support of friends?

And who was Zenigata in this world? Was he more pleased with his life than Moneta? He worked at Interpol and was assigned to the case of the world's most wanted thief. It sounded like something his ancestors could be proud of. However, was he happy?

“OK!” Lupin said suddenly, standing up. “We have to get to work and get Pops back!”

“I understand you already have a plan?” Jigen asked. 

“Of course! We know what we need: Zeitman's magic fluid and boom-boom. We also know where to look for it: at Interpol! So there is no point in sitting, time to move and act! Well, get up, get up!” Lupin started to walk in the place for a moment, but seeing that no one shared his enthusiasm, he stopped and spread his hands. “What with you, guys!? Don't you want to help this poor man get back to his dimension?” he asked, turning to Jigen and Goemon, pointing to Moneta. "Are you soulless enough to want to let him spend the next hours away from home and friends? Or maybe you want to abandon Pops to death in a foreign dimension? I didn't raise you like that!” he finished dramatically, wiping an imaginary tear. 

“You didn't raise us at all!” Jigen protested. 

“Exactly! And you see what the effects are!?” 

Jigen put his hat on more and shook his head.

"I just don't see the reason for such a rush," he said. “Apart from the obvious fact that you don’t not really have a plan and you want to come up with something on the run, maybe you could take into account the state of this Zenigata?”

“My condition?”

Surprised Moneta looked at Jigen. The fact is, he was tired both mentally and physically but he could still act. Still, he felt warm inside, thinking that even in a world in which they were apparently enemies, his friend was worried about him. He smiled to himself, remembering all those moments when Jigen was the only voice of reason in their company and reminded him and Goemon of such basic life functions as eating and drinking.

“It's been less than a day since the explosion, which you spent most of the time in the hospital, and since we didn't hear the engine, you probably went at least part of the route on foot. There is no way you can pull an all-nighter now,” Jigen said.

“I can do it if I have to!” 

“No. We are resting today and Lupin comes up with a plan better than ‘we come and go’, okay?” The last sentence he directed to Lupin, who muttered under his breath "Yes, mom" and fell back on the couch. “I'm glad we understand each other. Goemon, can you help me with dinner?”

The samurai nodded and after a while both men disappeared in the kitchen.

Zenigata and Lupin were alone. Moneta looked around the room, noticing the slight difference between this hut and his house. The furniture was set a little differently. Paintings hung on the walls, and the stains on the armchair arranged in different patterns.

Everything was so similar and yet so different.

Even Len… Lupin sitting next to him differed slightly from his counterpart in the world of Moneta. This one here didn’t wear facial hair or glasses, although the love of red apparently remained unchanged. The man had just taken out of his bright jacket’s pocket …

“Hey! This is my watch!”

Moneta snatched his property from Lupin. He didn't even know when he was deprived of it. The thief apparently considered it a great joke, because he burst out laughing. He covered his eyes with his hand and kicked his legs, but suddenly he stopped. He spread his fingers and from behind them looked at Moneta, grinning and holding Lupin’s watch in his hand. He opened his mouth and froze for a moment, then finally shook his head.

"Not bad, old man," he commented, taking away his property. “Not bad! Maybe Pops would have been a decent thief if he had the chance to try without losing his memory.”

“Why do you call him ‘Pops’"? Zenigata asked something that puzzled him from the very beginning. In Jigen's mouth this nickname sounded strange, while Lupin spoke it so naturally that in Moneta's head for a momen was created a picture of Lenormand shouting during the pursuit: "Pops, you're under arrest!”.

"Pops is Pops," Lupin shrugged. - “I think I called him that way for the first time, when after the first or second arrest he tried to moralize me like a father, which of course is quite a stupid comparison, because my old man was even more villain than me. Well, somehow it stuck and remained. And what do we call you in your world?” he asked. He crossed his legs and tilted his head. “Of course, apart from the fact that Lenormand probably probably screams something like: ‘Moneta, you bastard!’”

Zenigata suffered deja vu when he heard Lupin's voice. Words spoken with such familiar energy and the same tone for a split second made him want to get up from the couch and run for his life. Instead, he laughed.

“Well, yes, Lenormand usually calls me that way. Jigen and Goemon call me "Zeni"."

“Zeni…” Lupin repeated the nickname slowly, as if tasting it on his tongue. “It fits. Can I call you like that?” he asked, and Zenigata nodded. This was definitely a better option than the funny ‘Papcio’. “Great, Zeni-chan!”

“ _Chan_?”

The diminutive made Zenigata feel an alarming flow of blood into his cheeks. Has it always been so warm in this room?

Lipin chuckled, obviously pleased with this reaction.

Seeing giggling Lenormand... It was definitely an interesting experience.

Moneta never had the opportunity to talk to the inspector long enough. Usually their meetings were limited to exchanging malicious comments during the run. He wondered if Lenormand, because of the different path he had taken in his life, was significantly different from the one sitting next to him, smiling almost all the time.

Zenigata not once wondered what it would be like to cooperate with Lenormand, but now for the first time the question appeared in his mind: "What would life with Lenormand look like?" He wondered if they would be able to get along or if they had any common topics outside of work. What did Lenormand do in his free time? What did he like to eat for breakfast? Was he sleeping under a down comforter or a light blanket?

Stop.

He had to stop. Not only because thinking about Lenormand didn’t make the slightest sense, since they were currently in other dimensions. Also when they were in the same world they were divided by the abyss. He was a thief and Lenormand a policeman. Although…

He looked at Lupin, currently sitting with arms folded and tapping his fingers with the rhythm of song, only known to him..

“Do you think Lenormand is a thief?"

"Oh, probably," Lupin answered immediately. "If he's not much different from me, he probably steals something from time to time so he doesn't fall out of shape. At least I would do that.”

“Yeah…”

So, it was true. The thief who had followed them for two years really was Lenormand. Moneta had suspected this for a long time, but he had never collected any specific evidence, but now that he knew that all this wonderful flawless past of the policeman was only a false identity, he was completely sure.

That means they were on the same side of the law! They were both thieves and although they couldn't stand side by side catching criminals, they could still work together! If Lenormand gave up this false life and became a "Lupin"...

No. He shouldn't be happy that this young, brilliant officer was really a thief. He should feel angry and disappointed. And maybe he felt them a little bit. However, mainly his heart was dominated by hope. Hope he and Lenormand could one day stand side by side.

"You know," Lupin said suddenly. Now he changed position, folding his arms behind his head. In the meantime, when Moneta was absorbed in his thoughts, he managed to pull out and light a cigarette. “You could stay here.”

“What?”

This proposal surprised Zenigata so much that he immediately stiffened. He even stopped breathing.

“I mean, you wouldn't have to be Moneta here. You could be Inspector Zenigata from Interpol again.

Be a policeman again?

Suddenly the badge hidden in his pocket began to weigh on him. He pulled it out and opened it. First and last name, date of birth, origin, photo and document number. And the stain, probably after soy sauce.

Well then. It was so simple. He could stay here, he could return to his old life. He would never have to steal again. He would be the lawman again. He would return to his place.

He smiled and closed the badge. He looked at Lupin and met his eyes.

"Thank you for this offer," he said. “Just knowing that there is such a possibility makes my heart warmer.” He put a hand on his chest. "However, I can't do it. I can't sentence another me to stay in my world and live my life. Not when his place is here.” He handed the badge to Lupin, who slipped quietly, surprised," Ara?" “It belongs to him. Give it to him, when you meet again.”

Lupin smiled and put the document in his jacket pocket. For some reason, he looked like a weight has been lifted off of him. Perhaps he only made the offer to check Zenigata's reaction and was afraid of the answer.

“I will. Thank you, Zeni-chan.

Although Moneta rolled his eyes when he heard the diminutive, a smile did not leave his lips.

“Oi, Lupin!” Jigen's voice snapped the men out of the bubble they were in for a moment and brought them back to the real world. “Move your butt here and show Goemon how this new rice machine works!”

Lupin and Moneta looked at each other and smiled broadly.

*

The rice machine crisis was over when Lupin stuck Japanese subtitles to all buttons. In the meantime, Moneta helped Jigen prepare the curry. It was nice to do something so familiar. Although he rarely cooked, leaving this pleasure to friends, sometimes like now, he assisted by cutting or peeling vegetables. If it hadn't been for Jigen's perceptible caution and Lupin's never-falling voice, he would have felt at home.

They ate together in the living room and the atmosphere felt somehow more sleepy. Lupin annexed the armchair for himself, and Zenigata sat on the couch next to Jigen and Goemon. He still couldn't get used to seeing the joined hands of his friends, but at the same time he subconsciously sensed that that’s how it should be. He even began to wonder how he could help this relationship in his world.

“You know, nobody tells you to sit here, you can move to a more intimate place," Lupin said when Jigen nestled his head in Goemon's neck. The wine in the glass dangerously approached the edge as Lupin shifted position.

“Are you jealous?” Jigen smiled, and because the hat slipped off his head slightly, his eyes were clearly visible.

"You wish," Lupin waved his hand (fortunately not the one in which he held the glass). "I just don't want to stop you if you have something better to do than sitting with us."

Zenigata seemed to think that Lupin's words were not entirely honest. As if there was something more behind them. Jigen apparently came to the same conclusion because he had detached himself from Goemon. He adjusted his hat, leaned forward slightly and propped his head with his hand.

“Mhm. Certainly, it's not that you are jealous, because you would like to sit with Pops right now.”

Lupin suddenly stiffened for a split second. He sipped his wine and set the glass on the table.

“With Pops?” he asked in a carefree voice. “You're kidding? Why would I even want to spend this lovely evening in the company of an old man? Especially when there is a better version of him here, who doesn’t try to keep me in chains.”

Lupin winked at Zenigata. Jigen and Goemon exchanged glances. Jigen nodded, and Goemon stood up and disappeared behind the door of his room before returning with the tape recorder. He set it on the table and returned to his place.

"Well, well, are we having a party?" Lupin asked amused. He stood up, bowed and stretched out his hand towards Zenigata. “May I have this dance?”

Before Moneta could answer anything, Jigen's command came:

“Lupin. Sit down.”

“How can I dance while sitting?” The thief turned to gunsman and put hands on his hips.

“Sit on your butt. We need to talk.”

“Oh no no no! ‘We need to talk’ never bodes well!”

“Lupin, we want you to listen to something," Goemon said in a serious tone and reached towards the tape recorder.

“Should I talk or listen? You give me conflicting signals.”

“Just sit down and shut up for a moment," Jigen said tiredly, and Goemon pressed the play button. Lupin crossed his arms and sat down, making a loud "Hmpf!".

There was only noise and crackling from the device for a moment, then finally Goemon's soft voice:

_Goemon: Ready._

_Jigen: * sigh * All right, Lupin, repeat what you just said._

_* the sound of glass banging on the glass *_

_Lupin: But what? * blurred voice, interrupted by hiccups * That snails’ copulation can last up to two days?_

_Jigen: No, later._

_Lupin: That clownfishes live in harems, where the largest individual is a female and if she dies, the largest male turns into a female?_

_Goemon: Earlier._

_Lupin: That when a female Capuchin monkey wants to copulate, she throws stones at her partner?_

_Jigen: What? Really? Oi! You haven’t say that at all!_

_* Lupin’s laugh, sound of glass *_

_Goemon: Say what you said between snails and clowns._

_Lupin: Ah, that I would like to sleep with Zenigata?_

Lupin opened his mouth, but Jigen put a finger to his lips.

“Shhh!” he silenced him.

“Not "shhhh!" me here! What kind of manipulation is this?!”

"Listen," Goemon said as Lupin's voice from the tape deck finished his sentence.

_Lupin: ...said I, Arsène Lupin Third, honest but drunker than a motherfucker.~!_

_* the sound of sliding furniture and broken glass, Jigen's scream *_

_Goemon: Ji-_

_* radio crash, end of recording *_

“You threw yourself at me and poured the rest of the whiskey out of your bottle,” explained Jigen.

“So you had to be pacified,” Goemon put his hand on Zantetsuken.

“That's why I had this bump on my forehead last week!” Lupin stood up abruptly. “This is domestic violence!”

“Domestic violence was that rush at me! Goemon was only saving me!”

“Because you made me talk some stupid thing, and-”

“I made you? I made you!?”

Now Jigen also stood up. He took a step forward and stood so close to Lupin that the tip of his beard almost touched the thief's face.

“Always, every fucking time, when you are blackout drunk, you start talking about Zenigata, and then you don't remember it! And when we want to raise this topic, you always run away! Fuckin’ shit, Lupin! If you don't want to listen to us, at least listen to yourself!

Zenigata felt that he definitely shouldn't have witnessed this scene. Lupin's heart problems were not his concern, since if everything goes well, he will return to his world tomorrow and will never meet this version of Lenormand again.

But what if Lenormand also in this aspect resembled the local Lupin?

“Your ears, Lupin,” Goemon said, breaking the tense silence that followed Jigen's words. “They're red.”

Lupin immediately covered his ears with his hands and took a step back.

“Huh, it looks like you can fool yourself, but you can't fool your ears," Jigen joked with contentment and returned to his place next to Goemon. Lupin sat in an armchair, this time in fetal position, with his legs close to his torso. Suddenly he straightened all his limbs and did it so abruptly that the chair leaned back a little.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” he shouted. “Okay, you won!”

“So you admit that you fell in love with Inspector Zenigata?” Goemoen asked. Lupin picked up a bottle of wine standing on the floor and poured himself a full glass.

“Yes, yes, I admit it! I, the best and most handsome thief in the world, Arsène Lupin the Third, have a crush on an old policeman who’s after me. Satisfied?”

“Absolutely,” Jigen replied, grinning. "I want to propose toast: our little Lupin has finally matured and confessed his feelings! How about it?”

Lupin was too busy with his wine to answer.

“Beer for me,” Goemon said. “Asahi, please.”

“Sure,” Jigen kissed the samurai on the cheek. “I prefer something stronger. And you?” he turned to Zenigata.

“Um, stronger, yes,” Moneta confirmed unconsciously. "Wait, I'll bring it," he said when Jigen got up. The gunsman shrugged, pleased that he didn't have to move from a comfortable place next to Goemon.

“Whiskey glasses are in-”

“Yes, I know," interrupted Moneta. He hurried into the kitchen and only when he pulled the glass out of the cabinet did he realize his hands were shaking. He leaned against the worktop and took a deep breath a few times.

Lupin is not Lenormand, Lupin is not Lenormand, Lupin is not Lenormand.

But what if... Lenormand is Lupin?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry you have to wait so long for this chapter! But finally it's here and because the last chapter is also finished, you won't have to wait another few months for it. Just give me some time to translate it c:  
> And thank you so so much for all thesese kudos (more than 100??? what the heck???) and comments!

Zenigata loosened his tie a bit. It wasn't that hot in the building, so why did he feel like his whole body was on fire?

_ Maybe because you're sneaking around Interpol headquarters, huh? _ He told himself.

Indeed, there was no denying it. Although he was well aware that he should not be acting suspiciously in any way, he couldn't help himself. Admittedly, he was wearing his clothes (with that terrible stain on his coat), but Lenormand managed to arrange his wig and with the help of makeup changed his appearance a bit. It wasn't the level of Lupin's masks, but still better than nothing. At least there was a chance that if he met someone he knew, that someone would not immediately recognize him as a former Inspector Zenigata.

Zenigata put his hand in his pocket. The walkie-talkie was still safely resting on its bottom, still silent. He should be happy about it - everything was going according to plan and no one needed any help. And yet he felt uneasy all the time. Not only because he felt like a thief in a place so familiar to him, but also because of the presence of someone who introduced too much uncertainty to any of Lupin's plans (or in this case, Lenormand’s plan).

***

“Andre~!”

“Fujiko-chan~!”

Mine Fujiko hanged herself on Lenormand and even gave the man a kiss on the cheek. This, of course, only encouraged him to reach where he shouldn't, and he got a slap on the wrist. The woman moved away from him to send charming smiles to the rest of the party gathered in front of the house.

“That bitch!? You brought her here!?” Jigen shouted, one hand ready at any moment to reach for the revolver and the other pointed at Fujiko. Also Goemon looked like he was just waiting for an excuse to draw his sword. For some reason, however, he moved away from Jigen and a barely visible flush appeared on his face.

Fujiko laughed.

"Nice to see you guys again, too," she said, winking at them. However, she immediately shifted her gaze to Zenigata. Her smile turned from a slightly contemptuous one towards Jigen to a more sweet one. “Ah, Moneta~!”

She left Lenormand, from whose throat a groan of disappointment escaped, and went to Zenigata. Even though she was wearing high heels, she was still more than half a head shorter. She clung to him, and he could not only smell her perfume very clearly, but also learn how difficult it was to keep from glancing down at her breasts every now and then, exposed by the undone top buttons of her shirt.

"I’m…" he croaked softly so that it was hard to understand. So he cleared his throat and gently pushed the woman away from him. “I'm not Moneta.”

“Funny," she said, closing the distance between them again. “I could have sworn you introduced yourself to me like that recently.

“And that’s exactly,” no telling when Lenormand appeared next to them and pulled the woman to him. He put his arm around her “what I didn't want to explain to you on the phone.”

“Oh?” 

Her lips, beautifully highlighted with red lipstick, formed a round "o". She looked at Zenigata from head to toe.

“You see, darling," one of Lenormand's hands approached Fujiko's breast dangerously, but was almost immediately driven away from there. Zenigata looked away in embarrassment. Apparently, Jigen shared his feelings, for he groaned and pulled his hat over his face.

After all, Zenigata knew very well how Lupine acted as soon as Fujiko appeared on the horizon, so Lenormand's behavior should not shock him, and yet… The way he was approaching her, trying to touch or kiss her… He made a whole show of it. What was he trying to achieve with this? If it was a hit on the cheek, he achieved it perfectly.

“Fujiko-chan…” he said reproachfully, moving away from her and putting his hand to the red cheek.

“Please, Andre, you’re the only to blame.”

She tossed her hair back and looked at Zenigata once more. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the stain adorning his coat, then wandered upward. Looking straight into his eyes she smiled sweetly.

“What world did you come from, Zenigata-san?”

“What world...?” Zenigata thoughtlessly repeated, but before he could answer her, he heard the soft click of the unlocked revolver behind him.

“How do you know Moneta's identity?” Jigen asked in an icy tone. 

Fujiko smiled and rested a hand on her hip.

“It wasn't hard to guess that the undercover cop assigned to your case suddenly became your accomplice."

“Last time you didn’t say you know Moneta's past.”

“A woman must have her secrets.”

“Mhm. And she keeps them best in a grave, right?”

“No, not at all!” Lenormand suddenly interrupted, stepping between Fujiko and Jigen.

“Stand back, Inspector.”

The threat in Jigen's words was almost physically tangible. The finger calmly rested on the trigger and just waited for Fujiko's next inappropriate words. If the bullet had to pass Lenormand on its way to her head, too bad. It would be a fairly small loss to the world.

“No. Lower that toy of yours.”

At the word  _ toy _ Jigen's hand twitched dangerously. Lenormand's face, however, remained calm all the time. He didn't seem to care in the least about the revolver that was aimed at him now. 

"And you, Fujiko..." 

He turned to the woman, completely ignoring the danger.

“Oi!” Jigen shouted. No one has ever acted so brazenly while being targeted by him. He wanted to shoot at least in the air, whatever to make Lenormand stop ignoring him.

“Jigen,” Zenigata said softly. “Put the gun down.”

At first, Jigen's hand twitched slightly. His angry gaze made Zenigata shiver down his spine. 

_ You have no right to order me around _ , said the gunslinger's eyes.

Of course he didn't have. He wasn’t his boss, nor was he his longtime friend. Although a bond had begun to form between them during the short days they had spent together, it was all based on the fact that Zenigata looked like Moneta. For Jigen, he was only a fake, a substitute when the original was missing.

The shooter must have been thinking the same thing, for he didn’t lower his gun. Only when Goemon gently touched his arm did he seem to wake up from sleep. He cursed and sheathed the revolver. Zenigata exhaled with relief. He had no idea why Jigen hated Fujiko so much in this world. But he didn't want to ask about it, at least not now, so as not to exacerbate the conflict even further.

During this time, Lenormand continued his conversation with Fujiko.

“...how could you not tell me you know Moneta's name!?”

“I didn't want to take away your detective play, Mr. Inspector.”

“But Fujiko…!”

“Now, now," she patted him gently on the cheek. “You already figured it out yourself, right?”

Lenormand made an unidentified grunt and folded his arms over his chest.

“Yes, but that's not the point," he said in an offended child's voice. Apparently, in this world, he had not yet experienced so much betrayal from Fujiko as to stop being surprised. So how long did they know each other? In his world they were probably a couple even before Zenigata met Lupin. Perhaps their relationship had also changed here.

“Well, Zenigata-san." Fujiko's attention returned to Zenigata. Her intense gaze made his throat suddenly dry. Almost as if he had been called to the rug by the boss and had to explain himself again about the crashed police cars and wounded officers. "Since you say you're not Moneta, my favorite thief," Lenormand snorted loudly and ostentatiously here. “then who are you in your world?”

_ In your world?  _ Ah. So Fujiko also knew about it. Was she guessing or maybe she was listening to them all the time? Or maybe she just knew about the gang's recent heist and what Zeitman was up to, and put the facts together faster than the others.

“Inspector,” he finally replied as the first shock was over. “and Lenormand is a thief,” he said, for without mentioning Lupin, that explanation sounded incomplete in his ears. After all, he wasn’t any detective, he was the detective assigned to the Lupin case.

“Fujiko! You can't take the explanation of it from me either!” Lenormand moaned. Fujiko stuck her tongue out at him, and Jigen made a soft huff, but he tried to mask it with a cough. “Besides, aren't you surprised by something like interdimensional travel!?”

“If it had anything to do with you? Not at all,” she snapped Lenormand on the nose and laughed softly. The inspector sighed heavily but also smiled. They exchanged glances with each other as if only they knew some great mystery of the world. For a brief moment, they looked like friends who had known each other for centuries, needing no words to talk to each other.

“Forgive me to interrupt this romantic moment," Jigen said, but his tone obviously did not indicate that he felt guilty in any way. "But now that we know you're an all-knowing treacherous bitch, can we get down to business? Why did Lenormand bring you here?”

“ Because I heard you need a transport," she replied with exaggerated sweetness, pointing at the silver Jeep she had come in. “And besides, I have brought some of the things Andre asked for.”

Lenormand's face lit up as if he had forgotten their earlier quarrels.

“Got everything?” he asked excitedly and without waiting for an answer, he walked over to the car. He opened the trunk and looked delightedly at a few boxes there.

“Everything. I don't know why you keep so many vacuum cleaner pipes in your apartment, but I took the two longest.”

“You are wonderful, Fujicakes!” he exclaimed and started unpacking. Zenigata immediately came to help. Even though he was still sore, he managed to pick up two boxes at once and carry them to the living room as instructed. As he set them down on the table, he noticed a piece of blond wig sticking out of one of them.

***

Zenigata went to the elevator and pressed the appropriate button, leaving the basement. As he had previously suspected, neither the vial nor the bomb were in the designated place in the warehouse. The policeman working there seemed equally surprised by the shortage, swearing that he had taken them himself a few days ago. He looked a little panicked, and Zenigata decided to get out of there as soon as possible, before being inundated with uncomfortable questions and someone else taking a closer look at his badge.

They did not have the time or equipment to make the appropriate counterfeit, so the old Moneta’s badge with a picture of Zenigata in disguise attached to it had to be enough. Fortunately, no one was looking at it  thoroughly , and entering the building hadn’t been a problem. Later, chaos began in the corridors, when Interpol finally received a card in a decorative envelope, signed by "Moneta".

“Dear Mr. Mehler!” The typewriter message began. They all worked on its content together, although the suggestions of Jigen (too vulgar) and Goemon (too polite and formal) were quickly rejected. “You probably know what a building is so clearly visible from the window of your office, but I wonder if you know that today it celebrates its centenary. On this occasion, I intend to be there with my friends at exactly 1pm. I hope to see you there as well. ~ Moneta, Gentleman Thief.”

It wasn't hard to guess what happened when the message reached the addressee. Mehler mobilized the entire police station. He announced that he would lead the operation himself, and that the captured thief had to be delivered to him immediately. Probably his face turned all red, and while shouting orders, he spat not only himself, but also the secretary standing closest to him. The only question was whether he had taken the unfortunate evidence with him before leaving the building, or whether he had left it safely hidden in his office or planted it in Lenormand’s.

Zenigata understood why Mehler in this world was so anxious to get rid of Moneta. But he didn't know what he had done to earn his hatred in his dimension. They didn't particularly like each other, but they started their careers at the same time, and for years Zenigata was directly subordinate to him. Of course, this involved taking responsibility for all the damage and failures related to the Lupin case, but could something like this be a sufficient motive to plant bombs, endangering not only the main target of the attack, but also innocent bystanders? Zenigata will have to find out in person when he succeeds in returning to his reality.

The floor on which Mehler's office was located has probably never been so empty before. All those who worked there that day and were unlucky to sit within the direct reach of the boss's voice were sent to the bank. Thanks to this, Zenigata could move relatively freely, not worrying that he might meet someone.

The door to the chief's office was decorated with an engraved metal name plate and none of the others along the long corridor had such an ornament. That, of course, only led to the smaller room where the secretary's desk stood. Only the next one, with an even bigger golden name plate, prevented access to the proper office. And defended it very effectively. Unfortunately for it, no matter how much security it had, or how shiny the plate decorating it would be, it was easily defeated by Zenigata, armed with a key.

Lupin, this time in the guise of Lenormand, once again proved that nothing is impossible for him and forged a key that was unforgeable in theory. He admitted that he had done that and broke the code to the boss's safe at the very beginning of his policeman career too, as he put it, to have a little fun.

Mehler's office looked identical to the one in Zenigata's world. Unnecessarily large, with dozens of books that have probably never even been opened, trophies for unknown merits and a huge Interpol logo behind the desk. Literally every square centimeter of space agreed was the same in his world and Zenigata acutely realized that he shouldn't be there. But he had no choice. No matter how uncomfortable he felt as he sneaked around his boss's office, he had to do it if he wanted to get back to his reality.

He put on gloves and carefully lifted the Interpol logo to reveal a large safe. He had memorized the combination for it from Lenormand, so he entered a six-digit code on the panel. There was a soft pop, and the door swung open with surprising ease for such a massive object. Although the interior could definitely tempt many thieves with both valuables (why did Mehler keep his private belongings in a company safe?) and documents, Zenigata looked through it all with disappointment. No sign of the vial or the bomb. Even so, he hesitated to close the safe. Perhaps the papers it contained might help him to some extent understand why Mahler had such a hatred for him that he went so far as to attempt murder. And while the temptation was great, he slammed the heavy door and adjusted the Interpol logo. This was not the time and place for his private investigation, he now had a more important mission to fulfill.

On the way to the room occupied by Lonormand, he found only one lady working in the administration. But all he had to do was smile and nod, he didn't even need to speak. Fortunately, because he was sure his trembling voice would betray him. 

He was just standing in front of the door of last chance that this whole circus could end a little faster. A door that he knew well from his world, differing only in the name assigned to it and the lack of a keyhole. He pulled out the keycard Lenormand had given him and tugged it across the panel. His hands were shaking so much he was sure he would have a problem if he had to use a normal key right now. 

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He did not believe that it was possible, and yet he was even more nervous than about the break-in (because you can't call it otherwise) to the office of "his" boss. Finally, he pulled the handle and stepped inside.

He expected to find what was always in Lupin's abandoned hideouts - chaos, empty alcohol bottles and even more chaos. The reality was disappointing, however. The room was almost empty. Were it not for the keycard working, he probably would have doubted if he was in the right room. For peace of mind, he made sure again, taking a step back. Both the number and the name next to it agreed, so he couldn't be wrong. Besides, he himself occupied this office in his world.

He was disappointed. Apart from the map hanging on the wall with colored pins marked on the places where Moneta and his partners pulled off their heists, there was not a single thing telling who owned this room. Even his office, which he visited so rarely, seemed to be used more often, even if the only evidence of this was empty instant soup cups.

This place had no soul. It was too clean and tidy, completely non-lupin. Zenigata couldn't imagine Lenormand spending hours in this empty space, planning more attempts to capture Moneta or doing paperwork.

All his stress was gone immediately. Disappointed, he went to the desk, only glancing at the folders on it. There was no need to turn on the computer, so he immediately started opening drawers and filing cabinets. There was absolutely nothing to be found, except for the rather chaotic files, office supplies and pralines hidden in a desk drawer, and a couple of packs of cigarettes. He helped himself to both, surprised by his boldness and calmness. He sat down in the chair and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag.

He didn't know anymore if he was disappointed not to find the vial and the bomb here, or because this place was the complete opposite of what he expected. He had seen many places Lupin had abandoned. Sometimes they were cheap and small apartments, from which the thief escaped in a hurry, other times larger apartments or houses, which he must have used often. All these places had a specific aura, almost physically felt by Zenigata, a testimony to Lupin's presence. And here? The only thing he could feel here was how huge was the difference between his thief and policeman from this world.

He remembered the words Lenormand had spoken hours ago.

"Don't judge a policeman by his office," he said jokingly, handing over his keycard. Winking, he left Zenigata confused and went to deal with "surely lonely and bored" Fujiko.

Zenigata took a walkie-talkie from his pocket. If his mission was unsuccessful, he should notify the others as soon as possible and go to the assembly point. Fujiko waited a block away in her Jeep, ready to move at any moment as soon as Jigen and Goemon had finished their part of the plan.

“Not here, over,” he said softly to the device.

"Got it," said a slightly distorted female voice. “I’m waiting. Over and out.”

It was time to go. He put the device away and stubbed out the unburned cigarette in the ashtray on the desk. His eyes went back to the folders lying next to it. He hesitated for only a second and, arguing that he had already crossed a certain line with a cigarette and a praline, he reached for one of them.

The first piece of paper that was inserted loosely was an accurately drawn sketch of a human face. Zenigata's face.

The drawing was creased, as if someone had thrown it in the bin, but then ultimately regretted the decision. You could see the diligence with which the author tried to reflect the drawn character. It wasn't a sketch that you spend five minutes on, but one that can take hours trying to capture every shadow and every flash of light.

Zenigata was amazed. Sure, he knew Lupine could draw and paint, but apart from fake pictures and scribbles, he had never seen… anything like that. In addition, as far as he knew, Lenormand only managed to see Moneta's face for a moment, and yet he drew it as if he were looking at the photo.

There was a signature in the lower left corner. The little bean-shaped face was smiling broadly next to a carefully handwritten "L". Zenigata smiled gently. He finally found something familiar.

He put the drawing back in its place and reached for the rest of the contents of the folder. He found exactly what he expected there. Collected testimony and a report from one of Moneta's previous robberies. However, among those boring papers there were also plans for a building with markings and Japanese notes written on the sides. Zenigata looked at them more closely, trying to decipher the scribbles. Apparently, these were the details of the alarm system in the jewelry store. And yet the front page of the report clearly stated that one of the right-wing politicians was a victim of Moneta.

In the next folder, the first page also did not match the content. It was the same with all the others, and having put the last of them in its place, Zenigata used all his resources of self-control in order not to burst out laughing. He covered his mouth and doubled over, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes.

This idiot, this ape and imbecile, pretending to be an exemplary policeman, was preparing his heists in the office, and no one even noticed! It would be enough for someone to take a minute to read the papers and Lenormand would be finished, Mehler wouldn't have to mess around with tossing vials or planting bombs!

Zenigata didn't know what he was laughing at anymore - the insolence of Lenormand or the stupidity of Mehler and all his sidekicks. Tears rolled down his cheeks, so he quickly wiped them with his sleeve and stood up with a still-broad smile on his lips to look around once more. Dull and empty, belonging to a young policeman dealing with a doomed to lose case. Who could suspect what was the true nature of its owner?

"Don't judge a policeman by his office," he heard in his head again as he closed the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

When Zenigata arrived, Fujiko was leaning against the Jeep, smoking a cigarette. Dressed in a blonde wig and work clothes, she looked like a very attractive manual worker enjoying the moment of break.

Nobody paid any attention to her. People, crowded just a block away, pressed forward, only stopped by police tape. Each of the onlookers hoped to see at least a scrap of the famous thief's coat. So they leaned out, tried to bypass security, or squeezed to the very front, creating the perfect job for the policemen.

Zenigata stood next to her and looked up as a police helicopter flew over their heads. It seemed only a matter of time before the rest of the heavy equipment would arrive. When the noise produced by the machine subsided somewhat, he said:

“I found nothing. Got any news from the rest?”

“Andre just let me know he’s alive. And the guys should finish their show soon.”

“So we're waiting.”

Fujiko smiled too sweetly.

“So we're waiting,” she repeated.

Zenigata nodded and suddenly wanted to get away from the woman's brown eyes focused on him. He muttered some quiet "Excuse me" and walked around the car to sit in the front passenger seat. Only then he breathed out and could rest for a while.

The visit in Lenormand's office cleared his mind and allowed him to get rid of stress, so he made his way to the car extremely calmly. Only when he saw Fujiko, his anxiety returned to him. But it's no wonder this woman had such an effect on him. He always felt uncomfortable with her, and he found this version of her even more terrifying. He wasn't sure if it was just a bad feeling or if it was actually some hidden cruelty that set this Fujiko apart from that of his world. On the surface, she was acting exactly as he might have expected. She was teasing Jigen, testing her charms on Goemon, and at the same time rejecting Lenormand's courtship and encouraging him to flirt even more. Nothing out of the ordinary. And yet…

From his place Zenigata saw only her back against the car. Even so, when he closed his eyes, he could clearly recall her face. He has never known and will probably never meet a more beautiful woman. Even though she was identical to her counterpart in his world, he couldn't help but feel that they were different.

But isn't it so with all of them?

Jigen's and Goemon's files found in the safe showed clearly how different their history was from the one Zenigata knew. In his world they had been working with Lupin for a long time, being thieves and limited the killings only to those in self-defense. Here, however, they shed much more blood.

Lenormand, despite being Lupin, was also a policeman. He constantly had to pretend to be someone he was not, or at least someone he never intended to be. In his world he was free, and here he was limited by double life and responsibilities.

And Moneta? Zenigata was still wondering who this man really was. He gave up all his values and his heritage, but got rid of loneliness instead. He had devoted friends by his side, and in some ways he still served justice. But what was he thinking as he looked in the mirror? Did he sometimes regret the choices he made, or did he think that it was better for him to die in those flames than to lead a life so different from the path delimited by his ancestors?

Zenigata looked in the rearview mirror and saw the face made for today's action. Suddenly he felt an unimaginable disgust at his reflection. He felt he’d go mad if he didn't return to his form right now. So he tore the wig off his head and put it on his lap. He ran a hand through his hair. He was sure that this whole adventure of transfer to another world had brought him a lot of new gray hair. He rubbed his face with his sleeve, trying to get rid of the makeup, but it didn't help much. So he peeled off those few bits of silicone that made him look more European.

From the mirror, Zenigata Koichi's face was staring at him now, red from getting rid of makeup and tired from all the emotions of today. A face he often had enough of, he didn't care for, and which often reminded him of what a miserable life he was living. And yet he didn't feel particularly unhappy. Sure, being someone the whole Interpol mocked wasn’t nice, and neither was sleeping in cheap hotels, living on a minimum wage and only eating instant soups and fast food. Still, he did what he loved, chasing the person he cared about the most all over the world. And to which, if everything goes as planned, he'll be back soon.

What will he do then? He wasn't sure what to do now that he realized his feelings. Perhaps the best option would be to bury it deep within and continue the endless pursuit. That way, he’d at least keep in touch with Lupin, even if it were only those brief moments during the chase. But that way, nothing will ever change. He’ll always be the same Inspector, despised by his co-workers and having no place on earth. And this world showed him an alternative. He could become Moneta.

He was distracted by Fujiko, who opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat. She looked at him and smiled slightly.

“You look much better now.”

“Ah. Hm. Thank you,” Zenigata replied, although he didn’t think so. He didn't think his face looked better than any other face, but he accepted the compliment.

Fujiko nodded, pleased. She turned the key in the ignition and adjusted the rearview mirror.

“Goemon and Jigen are coming soon. Ready for the next step in our plan?”

“Of course.”

“Fasten your seat belts then,” she said, and at that moment the rear door of the car opened, through which two sacks filled with money were thrown. By the time Jigen could take a seat next to them, the Jeep was already moving. The gunslinger took off his balaclava and immediately put on his hat. He also took off his cloak, which was supposed to imitate Moneta’s one, and took a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Zenigata asked, and Jigen gave a thumbs-up. He was smiling broadly and shook his head in disbelief.

“Perfect. As Lenormand had predicted, all of his idiotic tricks had worked. Even that stupid confetti…”

***

“No. This idiot gonna kill us all!”

The mentioned idiot just snorted, which made Jigen even more angry.

“This idea sounds like a medium-quality reality show, not a bank heist plan! Why should I and Goemon make clowns out of each other with a confetti bomb and,” he picked up a box lying on the table and read the label on it. “pink smoke with a raspberry smell!?”

“Because you have to be the diversion! Distract Mehler and his men for as long as possible so Zenigata can do his part in peace!”

“But why do we have to do this… like that!?”

“Because it's funnier!”

Lenormand spread his hands wide and his eyes sparkled. Zenigata felt warmth spread over his body. It was to that gleam in his eyes, that broad smile that he wanted to come back to as soon as possible.

“Funnier? We are criminals, not a bunch of kids who want to play!”

Jigen sounded like he considered himself the only sober person in the room. In a way, he was right. Moneta planned his attacks based on the policeman's previous experience, he tried to do everything quietly, without witnesses and unnecessary risk. And risk was what Lupin loved.

“Jigen,” said Zenigata. “Believe me, I know Lupin. After all, I've been running his case for almost a decade. And that's what most of his ideas look like. They are crazy, often stupid, and almost always for show. You can't even imagine how many times I've wondered if he's a genius or a gifted idiot.”

“Hey!” Lenormand said and was ignored.

“But it always works. Often, even the weirder something sounds, the better the end result turns out to be.”

Jigen turned to Goemon, who had been silent so far, not participating in the discussion.

“You agree with it?”

The samurai closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

“I believe that the methods used by Lenormand are idiotic.”

“Exactly!”

“However, our goal is to cause as much chaos as possible, and this will certainly be achieved.”

“You've been outvoted," Fujiko said. Jigen only gave her a hateful look and said nothing else. He lit a crumpled cigarette from his pocket and was extremely silent.

“I know you don't trust Lenormand," Zenigata began. With every single atom of his body he felt the gunslinger's heavy gaze on him, telling him to shut up. But he couldn't do it. “You have no reason to do so. However, I know Lupin. And I know I'm asking too much, I'm not Moneta after all, but trust me and agree to this plan. We can't bring your friend home without you.”

Jigen said nothing for a long moment. Until he finally cleared his throat and shifted position a little, leaning more forward.

“Can you repeat what that confetti was about?” he asked Lenormand, and the inspector happily explained this stage of the plan again. Zenigata took a deep breath and allowed himself a gentle smile.

***

Now Zenigata was smiling too, seeing Jigen still filled with adrenaline. The gunslinger, as soon as he noticed that he was being watched, hid his face under his hat. He wasn't going to admit how much fun he was having.

“Goemon should be waiting at the appointed place,” he said in a voice in which there was supposed to be no more mirth. Unfortunately for him, in this world he had never had the opportunity to improve his acting skills more, and despite the feigned calmness, it was still evident how pleased and excited he was.

“Then it's time to get him," Fujiko said. She turned into one of the narrower streets, into which their sizable car barely fit, and turned onto the road parallel to the one on which the bank stood. Here, too, the police tried to stop the onlookers and somehow direct the traffic, but they weren’t doing very well.

Somewhere in the background they could hear sirens still howling, but no one was following them. Zenigata looked around a bit paranoidly, but their Jeep wasn't attracting more attention than might have been expected.

At the meeting point that was a tenement house far enough from the bank that the samurai was able to reach it by jumping over the roofs, Fujiko slowed down. It was not necessary to stop, Goemon efficiently jumped from his hideout on one of the lower balconies and landed on the car. He slipped inside immediately, and those who noticed him were probably rubbing their eyes in amazement and began to doubt their own sanity.

“Great job, Goemon,” said Jigen, smiling broadly. The samurai settled in the free space in the back and nodded.

“Yours too. And also yours, Zeni.”

“Ah... thanks," Zenigata replied, feeling that he was getting warm inside. At work, it was rare that he heard such an honest "good job".

“And me?” asked Fujiko grumpy. Goemon frowned.

“Good job… at driving," he said finally.

“Hmpf. It can be.”

“I'm not thanking you until we're all home,” Jigen said.

“I didn't expect anything from you.”

“And rightly so.”

Now they only have to get to the rendezvous place, where they’ll meet Lenormand, and from there they’ll go together to the hideout. Then they’ll pour the contents of the vial over Zenigata and detonate the bomb in a safe place. Then he’d be able to go home. He’ll switch with his counterpart from this world, giving Moneta back to his friends.

He regretted a bit that he wouldn't have the opportunity to talk to the other himself. He probably had as many questions for him as Moneta had for him. After all, they were essentially the same person, so it's no wonder they both wanted to know the answer to the most important question:

_ "Are you happy with your life?" _

Now that the moment of his return to his home world was getting closer, Zenigata wondered again what he should do. Leave the police? Stay? Change job? Join Lupin? Should he confess his feelings to him or hide them forever so as not to violate their relationship?

Suddenly Zenigata heard a soft, characteristic sound ended with a click. All the car doors were blocked by the driver.

“What the fuck? Jigen said, and as the car raced faster and faster, he pulled the handle several times.

“Fujiko...?”

The woman ignored Zenigata. She pressed the gas pedal harder and tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

“What are you doing, bitch!?” Jigen shouted.

Goemon shifted uneasily in his place, but limited by the money bags, he had too little room to draw his sword and reach the woman. Jigen pulled out a revolver and aimed it at the back of her head. Zenigata immediately protested, but his warnings about the impact that killing the driver could have on their lives made no impression on the gunslinger.

“Oi, stop the car!” Jigen demanded. His eyes, full of hatred, suggested that he really would be willing to sacrifice the lives of all of them to get rid of Fujiko from this world.

“As you wish.”

The woman braked so suddenly that the belt plunged Zenigata painfully into the seat, probably leaving a long streak on his body. Meanwhile, chaos reigned on the back. Jigen was thrown on the seat, his hat fell off his head as he gripped the revolver with both hands. Goemon hit himself with the scabbard and only miraculously avoided the painful meeting with the glass, when at the last moment he leaned back to the other side.

“We're here," Fujiko said calmly, as if the hard braking had no effect on her. Jigen and Goemon, of course, for ex-killers, quickly pulled themselves together. Zenigata also snapped out immediately, such a situation was nothing new for him. The fingers and toes of all Jeep passengers wouldn’t be enough to count the number of times Lupin forced him to perform such or much more dangerous maneuvers on the road.

Zenigata knew that now there was nothing to protect Fujiko from a bullet in the head, so he immediately wanted to unbuckle his seat belt so he could turn around and somehow settle the dispute. But suddenly he heard all the doors in the car unlocked and that someone was tugging on the door handles. Before he could react somehow, a strong hand pulled him out and threw him to the ground, and then he felt someone's shoe on his back. Jigen and Goemon suffered the same fate, he clearly heard the curses of the gunslinger. Someone shouted to take the sword, and a silent "Zantetsuken!" escaped from the samurai's throat. Zenigata started to squirm, which, however, resulted in even more pressure when the thug stuck his knee painfully into his back and pressed his head to the ground.

It wasn't enough, however. Zenigata began to slowly rise anyway, trying to escape using his superhuman strength. But as soon as he managed to raise his head a little off the ground, it was kicked, and he seemed to pass out for a moment. He woke up in a few seconds, being picked up by two men. He started to struggle immediately, but they only tightened their grip.

Earlier, he did not pay attention to the fact where Fujiko was going and at what point she left the designated route. Only now he noticed that she stopped in a yard surrounded on all sides by townhouses. There was no playground or garden here, just sad single blades of grass sticking out of the ground. And Jigen and Goemon, already bound and guarded by two men wearing balaclavas and dark clothes.

“Lenormand!” Zenigata jerked, seeing the red cloak sadly hanging on the barely standing man. The policeman only smiled faintly and raised his bounded wrists. However, he did not have time to speak.

“Well, well, well...”

Still distracted because of the hit, Zenigata's mind took a moment to locate the source of the voice.

“Mehler…” he drawled. His boss spread his lips in a fake smile.

“Who would have expected that our famous thief is our no less famous inspector?”

Mehler stepped closer and Zenigata tried to break free once more. How he would like to wipe that hideous smile from his face. It was because of him that he was here. It was he who tried to kill him, Lupin, Jigen and Goemon, and also risked the lives of innocent officers. He was also responsible for forcing Zenigata from this world to fake his death and thus indirectly for Lupin's joining the police.

He was the one who started it all and apparently nothing will end because of him now. And they were so close! Lenormand said he had everything under control, so why, why suddenly everything went wrong?

There could only be one answer.

Fujiko passed through Zenigata's field of vision and stood next to Mehler. She clung to his arm and said something softly in his ear, at which the man's smile became so gross that Zenigata felt a shudder going through his whole body.

“Whore!” Jigen shouted. “A fucking whore! I told not to trust her!”

Fujiko sent him a kiss in response, and he spat on the ground. He started screaming more curses, but one nod of Mehler and the guard holding Jigen yanked him to the ground, and another man kicked him with all his might. At this sight, Goemon started to struggle, but he was quickly pacified.

Zenigata looked around. They were still in the city, surrounded by countless windows of tenement houses. How is it possible that no one has heard them?

“Relax, they’re vacant properties ready for demolition, no one will disturb us,” Mehler said. He walked closer to Zenigata with Fujiko clung to his side, talking all the time. He loved the sound of his voice, he liked to feel the power his words had over someone. And that's how it was right now. He gathered loyal people and soon will once again get rid of the one man who always caused him more problems than he was worth. “I can see you can't even die properly, Zenigata. You've been in my way from the very beginning. First you got a job that would make my career a lot faster, and then you stuck to it, pretending to be a hero. And now that I've finally achieved something, you want to destroy it again.”

“You can do whatever you want with me," said Zenigata slowly. "But let them go," he pointed to Jigen, Goemon and Lenormand.

“Cut the shit!” Jigen said. “You have no rights…!”

“I know!” Zenigata replied immediately, cutting off the further statement. After all, he knew that he didn’t have the slightest right to manage someone else’s life. If he died here, Moneta wouldn’t be able to change places with him. After all, they didn't just swap places, but bodies. When he woke up in this world, he wasn't wearing his clothes. Fortunately, there weren't too many differences on the body to make him feel uncomfortable. Only some of the scars disagreed, for which he didn't pay much attention anyway, having too many of them and getting new ones too quickly.

However, despite all this, he knew one more important thing - Moneta was him, and he would never let his friends die because of him.

“Are you kidding me?” Mehler asked, arms wide. He was holding a gun in his right hand. “Why would I do that? Why would I release Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa, the elusive helpers of Moneta? You have death sentences in so many countries that I will graciously let you choose where you want to die.”

“Fuck you,” Jigen answered.

“Fight us like a man and let Zenigata go,” Goemon said, and Mehler laughed.

“Fight with you? For you to cut me with your knife? I'm not stupid enough. But before sending you to the noose...”

Mehler slicked off the safety of his gun and turned sideways to Zenigata to aim at Lenormand.

“...a certain inspector must have an accident while trying to arrest dangerous criminals.”

“I'm glad you haven't forgotten me after all, boss.” Lenormand tried to smile, but it was hard to tell from his swollen cheek what his expression was. “I'm sure no one will get any suspicion when they pull your bullet from my corpse.”

“You won't have to worry about that.”

“No, wait!” Zenigata made another unsuccessful attempt to free himself.

Lenormand stood still, his expression unreadable. When his eyes met Zenigata's terrified gaze, he winked at him happily.

That idiot! That complete moron! Why wasn’t he trying to save himself? He was Lupin after all, he could easily talk himself out of this situation, he certainly had a plan, a gadget waiting politely up his sleeve, for sure he had…”

“John..." Fujiko approached Mehler again and clung to his shoulder, forcing him to lower his weapon. “What about my reward?”

Yeah. Mine Fujiko may have been a bitch, but definitely not a cheap one. How much did she charge for this betrayal?

“Can't it wait?”

“No,” Fujiko rested her chin on his shoulder. Probably if they stood a bit further to Zenigata, he wouldn’t hear the next words. “I'd rather be paid and go home to get ready for our evening.”

“Hmm, if so…” Mehler swallowed loudly. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, but Zenigata from his position couldn’t see what he had pulled out. - “I don't know what the trash is for, but that was the deal.”

“Thank you, John, you're the best!” Fujiko kissed him on the cheek and stepped back to accept her payment. Wait, was that chocolate and some kind of vial?

“So, where were we?” Mehler aimed at Lenormand again.

At this point, several things happened at once. A second ago, the rope fell from Lenormand's wrists, and the man stumbled backward, bumping into the guard holding him, forcing him to fall to the ground. Then he rolled sideways, perfectly to where Jigen and Goemon's abandoned weapons were lying. He tossed the revolver and sword more or less in their direction.

At the same time, Fujiko ran to Zenigata and before he could do anything, she smashed the vial on his shoulder. A dark, thick and odorless liquid immediately soaked into the fabric. The woman winked at him as she stepped her heel on the foot of one of the men holding him. Zenigata struggled until he finally managed to free one arm and then hit the other guard.

“What's going on!?” Mehler shouted suddenly out of control, waving his hand still gripping the gun. He fired blindly, and a roar amplified by echoes reflecting off the buildings drowned out everything else.

Zenigata finally broke free and rushed at Mehler immediately, before he could hurt someone. He lunged at him, and his weight and momentum made both of them fall to the ground. He tried to take the weapon away from him and somehow immobilize him at the same time. Perhaps he’d have succeeded if he hadn’t been suddenly pulled back by one of the men dressed in black. The second was holding Fujiko by the hair, and the third was helping his boss to his feet. Mehler was panting, and his hand, in which he was holding a gun, was shaking dangerously.

“You bitch, you bitch, you…” 

He came over and pistol-whipped Fujiko on the head. The woman fell to the ground, and Lenormand and Zenigata simultaneously shouted her name.

Mehler took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his thinning gray hair.

“It was… an unexpected turn of events. It looks like the infamous Fujiko Mine also wants to be hanged." 

“Move away from them,” Goemon's voice came unexpectedly. The samurai retrieved his sword and was just holding it stretched towards Mehler, only a few centimeters from his throat. In the background, Jigen was just finishing tying the unconscious and bleeding men in black, and Lenormand kicked one of them, just to be safe. “You lost.”

“I lost? I lost!?” the fury in his voice made Zenigata winced involuntarily. Goemon made no move, only breathing heavier than usual, like after an intense fight.

As befits an antagonist, Mehler laughed.

“One phone call," he said, suddenly cutting a laugh and turning to Goemon. "And police from all over the city will show up. I lost because what, you have your pocket knife? I won! I won, you hear!? I caught Moneta, I caught you! Too bad, you can all die in an unfortunate accident, but I'm going to take all the credits anyway!” he addressed the last words to Zenigata. He was smiling broadly and saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth. He looked crazy. And he must had been so, because Zenigata was well aware that when Goemon retrieved his sword and Jigen his revolver, the victory was on their side.

“I wouldn't be so sure," said Lenormand. He walked slowly towards Mehler, who was pointing his weapon at him. “Let's see what we have here. Threats of homicide, beatings, kidnapping, dealing with criminals… I think there's quite a lot of it, boss,” he finished smiling, then clapped his hands. "Well, guys," he said to the men holding Zenigata and Fujiko. “The show is over, get away before I arrest you too! Now, now!”

“Don't you dare! I'm the boss here!”

The men looked at each other. Despite playing the role of typical brawlers, they didn’t have the typical IQ level. After all, they had seen what happened to their associates only seconds after the samurai retrieved his sword, so they could easily predict that they would face a similar fate soon. So they stepped aside and Mehler screamed and threatened. Zenigata immediately knelt beside the unconscious Fujiko. He checked that she was breathing and examined the wound on her head, which was still oozing blood. Fortunately, the woman was alive, she only had another scar, which she'd have to cover with makeup.

He couldn't help smiling as he fixed one of the strands that obscured her face. Of course she had betrayed them. And then she betrayed Mehler, thanks to which they got what they came for.

She was still holding the small package of explosives in her hand. He took it from her, saying a soft "Thank you."

“Stay away! It wasn't supposed to be like that! It’s all wrong, wrong, wrong!” Mehler shouted, stepping back. He didn't know who he should aim at - Lenormand, Jigen or Goemon, so aimed at one person, then at another. “Not like that, not like that!”

“You hate me so much?” Zenigata asked. At the sound of his voice, Mehler pointed the gun at him. The madness in his eyes was replaced by fear and the lips tightened into a thin line and it was hard to understand the words he was saying.

“You stopped my career, then you made a mockery of the police for years, now you want to take everything from me when I was so close…”

So that's really what it was about? Due to his career, Mehler hurt so many people, because of him Zenigata moved to this crazy world, because of him Fujiko was now unconscious ...

Before he could process it all, Zenigata's body moved spontaneously. He grabbed Mehler by the arm, pointed at him and, using a handle, knocked him to the ground. He immobilized and twisted his arm painfully. He heard his groan, but didn't care.

“John Mehler, you're under arrest,” he said. He was breathing hard, trying to process what had just happened. He wanted to reach into his coat pocket for the handcuffs, but found only a handful of coins there.

“I think I should take care of him.”

Lenormand crouched down, handcuffs in his hand and smiling cheerfully. Zenigata was immediately abashed. After all, in this world, he had been no longer a cop.

“Sure, sorry..." he stepped back, but he helped hold Mehler. The latter tried to break free and shouted something, but was quickly silenced with a kick.

“Jigen!” Zenigata scolded him, and the gunslinger merely shrugged.

“For everything he did to Zeni, he deserves a bullet in the head. Let him be glad he only got a kick.”

Apparently, Mehler didn't think so because he started screaming again. Goemon hit him with the sword scabbard on the temple and the man fell silent. Everyone looked at the samurai.

“He deserves it,” he said. Jigen grinned at him.

“Okay, since evil has been defeated, we can probably go to the last stage of the plan, right?” Lenormand announced rising.

Zenigata's heart began to beat faster. He pulled out the bomb previously hidden in his pocket and looked at it. Wrapped in paper with its dark brown color, it really resembled chocolate. How something so inconspicuous, combined with the liquid already spilled on Zenigata's arm, could cause so many problems.

He handed the explosives over to Lenormand, and he immediately started tinkering with it, trying to attach the fuse. Goemon and Jigen approached Zenigata, not hesitating to step on the unconscious Mehler on the way. The samurai bowed lower than he should, and Zenigata, embarrassed, also bowed immediately. Jigen laughed and slapped him on the back.

“It was nice to meet you, Pops.”

Zenigata groaned at the nickname, but smiled. Nevertheless, he'll miss those moments spent together. If in this reality he could have had such friends, maybe in his world it was just as possible?

Sure, as long as he wasn't a policeman and they weren't criminals he had to catch.

Jigen, sensing his dilemmas, smiled and put hand on his shoulder.

“I think a bottle of whiskey is a good start to getting to know each version of me.” he said. And Goemon likes mochi. Pink ones. Ouch!” he shouted as the samurai kind of accidentally nudged him, bending down to pick up Fujiko. The men said something else, but Zenigata couldn't hear anything else. His vision blurred as tears filled his eyes.

Unexpectedly for himself, he hugged them, and also, in a way, held by Goemon Fujiko.

“Thank you for everything…” he choked out. He wanted to thank them for believing in the insane story about switching worlds, for their trust, for helping with this crazy plan, and for their friendship with Moneta all these years, but no words wanted to go through his throat. He hoped Jigen was reading his mind this time as well.

“I don't want to disturb this wonderful and touching scene,” Lenormand said, definitely wanting to disturb it. “but I think it's time to send our dear Zenigata back to his world and bring us Moneta.”

“So you could arrest him?” Jigen asked, freeing himself from Zenigata's embrace.

“I think this time I’ll let you go,” he replied with a smile. “I have to deal with another criminal first,” he added, pointing to Mehler. “Okay, okay, okay!" he clapped his hands. "Please step away from our interdimensional traveler!”

Jigen and Goemon obediently departed aside, and Zenigata thought that he was about to cry not with emotion, but with stress.

“Wait, didn't you say before that these explosions need to be synchronized?" he asked. Lenormand put the bomb into the who knows when dug hole and covered it with ground.

“Yes, they must happen simultaneously in our world and the other,” confirmed the policeman. He began to unwind the fuse and moved back, at the same time signaling for Jigen and Goemon to follow him.

“And if it fails, I will stay here forever?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“And Moneta won't be able to come back here either?”

“Of course.”

“So why are you so calm!?”

Lenormand ordered Jigen and Goemon to hide behind the car, stole a kiss from the unconscious Fujiko and only then turned to Zenigata. He grinned and lit the fuse. Zenigata watched in horror the small flame, relentlessly heading towards him.

“Why did you do this!? What if they aren't ready yet!? I am not ready!”

“Relax, you worry too much. Trust me, Pops!” Lenormand shouted back, and that was the last thing Zenigata heard before the explosion.

_ Pops? _

The roar, reflected from the walls of the buildings and additionally amplified, and the cloud of dust and earth that shot upwards, obscuring the sky, effectively separated Zenigata from the world. Instinctively, he cringed, shielding himself from stones and soil flying everywhere. His hat flew away somewhere in a gust of air.

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly and protecting his head from possible debris, he suddenly lost his balance. He felt the world slide out from under his feet and he sat down heavily on the ground. He felt dizzy, almost as he had been drunk, and suddenly all the air was gone from his lungs. He couldn't catch his breath, he had the impression that the omnipresent dust was the only thing around him. But suddenly it disappeared too.

Zenigata opened his eyes, but all he could see was darkness, as if suddenly he was in a room with no windows and no light source. He stretched out his hand but felt nothing. Slowly he stood up, still groping around him, trying to feel anything. After all, a second ago he was in the backyard of the tenement house, it was impossible that it suddenly got so dark. When he walks long enough, he'll finally hit the wall, or he’ll step on Mehler's body beforehand and meet the Jeep and Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko and Lenormand hidden behind him.

He took a step forward and then suddenly realized that he wasn’t alone. In front of him was his mirror image, in the same pose and with an identical puzzled expression. But when he reached out, the figure didn't move.

Then they both realized that they weren't each other's reflections, that they weren’t the same.

Inspector Zenigata and the gentleman thief Moneta looked into each other's eyes.

An unspoken question hung between them, but neither of them dared to ask it. But they knew their thoughts, and the smiles they gave themselves were enough to answer them.

_ I'm happy. _

And then Zenigata felt as if the air had been forced into his lungs. He gasped at it and bent in half, and when he looked up, only a cloud of dust surrounded him again.

He straightened carefully. Squinting his eyes, he looked around and finally noticed the outline of a human figure standing a few meters away. He waved a hand in front of his face as if that would help him improve his visibility. He coughed a few times as dust entered his lungs and he fixed his eyes on what was in front of him. Finally he could see the red of one’s jacket breaking through the dust.

“Lupin...?” he asked uncertainly. Then the figure moved and began to run towards him. Zenigata took a step back, but then an all-too-familiar face emerged from the cloud of dust. His gray eyes were now a darker color, yet they seemed to glow anyway. Zenigata managed to see his surprised reflection in them and suddenly felt his lips collide with Lupin's and they both fell to the ground.

His ears were still ringing after the blast, he was confused by the sudden change of position, he hit something while falling, and Lupin thrusted his bony knee in his stomach.

And kissed him.

Lupin was kissing him.

Zenigata timidly returned the kiss. If he had still been standing, his legs would have buckled under him. All those feelings that had been pushed aside for years suddenly exploded and he couldn't hold back his tears.

Lupin moved away from him. His red jacket accentuated the blush on his cheeks. His eyes were widely open, shining with excitement.

“Wow, Pops, I know I’m a great kisser, but I didn’t think I’m so good you gonna cry.”

“Lupin… Lupin!” Zenigata pulled the man closer to him and pressed face against his neck. He closed him in a tight embrace and inhaled his scent, wanting to focus all senses on that one person only, making sure it all was real. That he really came back to his world, that Lupin was with him, that he really did what he did a moment ago...

“I’m here, Koichi,” Lupine said softly, and kissed his head. 

To hear his name, not Pops, neither Zenigata nor Inspector, but his first name was so strange, that for a second Zenigata panicked that he was in yet another world. But he knew he wasn’t. Even if it felt more like a dream, he saw Moneta, so he was sure they switched places. And to be honest, being called Koichi wasn't strange in a bad way. Maybe if he heard it more often, he could get used to it. He’d love to. He’d really love to. And maybe then he’d be able to call him by his first name too.

“Arsene…” he whispered. He wasn’t aware he said it aloud until he saw Lupin’s cheeks, almost as red as his jacket. And it looked like for the first time since they knew each other, the thief couldn’t find any words. “Ah, sorry…” Zenigata added immediately. Lupin shook his head to shake himself off, then placed his hands lightly on the inspector's cheeks.

“Say it again,” he demanded.

“So…”

“Not this.”

“Arsene.”

Lupin kissed him. Again. This time, however, Zenigata didn’t hesitate for a moment. He returned the kiss and let himself be absorbed. It wasn't until the thief pulled away from him to catch his breath that the surrounding sounds began to reach them. Sounds of police sirens, screams of people and Jigen's voice among them:

“Lupin! We have to go!”

The thief sighed deeply.

“Jigen always knows how to spoil the fun," he said and gently brushed his lips against Zenigata’s forehead. The inspector wanted to say something, but how can you react in such a situation? Thank? Apologize? Confess your feelings?

Jigen's voice, even more pissed off, saved him from the decision.

“Lupin!”

“Coming!” the thief shouted back and stood up. He tried to brush dust off his pants, which didn't change much. And then he smiled and extended his hand towards Zenigata.

The inspector reached for it, but stopped, only a few centimeters from Lupin's fingers.

Should he grab it?

Sure, he had been kissed a moment ago, he was holding Lupin in his arms, and for the first time saw him completely stunned but… but what if it's all just a dream? Or another thief's plan to escape? What if…

Lupin took his hand and pulled him up.

Zenigata succumbed to this move. He didn't have to choose. He’ll let Lupin carry him. He would go with him everywhere, even if he was just another short adventure in the life of a thief. Even if his feelings weren't reciprocated with the same great strength, it was okay. His love was enough for the two of them, just let them be together. It took them long enough to understand their own feelings, they can't waste any more time.

He and Lupin ran to Fiat (in this world apparently they didn’t come in a Fujiko’s Jeep), happy and light, without the burden of decision. For so many years he had followed the thief, staring at his back, but now their clasped hands gave it a whole new meaning. If he sped up a little, he might catch up with him. Then they could go hand in hand, towards a new, shared future.

The dust had almost cleared away, and Zenigata could see the mess now. The car in front of them had lost its bright yellow color and looked as if it had been in a three-month long desert rally. Mehler's thugs lay a bit away from it, so their boss had to be somewhere there as well.

Zenigata looked over his shoulder and saw Interpol's deputy chairman in more or less the same place where he had left him in the other world. It was because of his sick ambition that all this madness had happened. He was supposed to be an example for his subordinates, but in pursuit of a career, he went down to the very bottom, becoming what they were supposed to fight.

Zenigata suddenly stopped. Lupin released his hand and also stopped with a soft "Oya?" on the lips.

“I can't go with you,” he said, though his whole body was jerking forward. “I have to bring Mehler to justice, clean up this whole mess.”

In Lupin's eyes, in a split second, surprise turned to anger, then to sadness, and finally there was nothing in them. His lips twitched and formed a smile, which was his most willingly put on mask, under which he was able to hide all emotions.

“Really?” he asked in a seemingly carefree tone.

“I can't just walk away! Someone has to take care of it all, and since it all happened because of me, that someone has to be me. I want to go with you! I really want to! But…”

He wanted to be able to get carried away by Lupin. To consider that the thief made the decision for them, that he merely surrendered to the course of events. However, he couldn't do that.

“For fuck's sake, Lupin!” Jigen shouted and pressed the horn to emphasize his words. The car was ready, Goemon and Fujiko took their seats in the back, and the passenger door stood open, waiting for Lupin. The thief ignored the urging, not taking his eyes from Zenigata's face.

“You know where to find me, right?” he asked. The inspector nodded. A hut in the woods, like he had seen it for the first time, appeared before his eyes. A fairy-tale place, a home hidden from the sight of the world.

“I always know,” he replied. Lupin nodded. His mask of fake smile cracked, and Zenigata experienced deja vu seeing the same expression the thief had worn just before the hotel explosion.

Eyes shining with emotion, pink cheeks and a gentle smile.

How Zenigata loved this sight.

“Then I'll wait,” said Lupin, and without giving time to answer, he ran to the car. He slammed the door behind him, and the Fiat pulled away with a screech of tires. The thief got up and, leaning through the sunroof, shouted:

“See you, Pops!”

They drove away, leaving Zenigata alone. However, this time, when the police cars arrived and he was surrounded by policemen demanding explanations, he did not feel lonely. Even though he knew the coming days would be a long, dragging nightmare, his heart was already going out to the ones following after them.

He unknowingly touched his lips, which still remembered the kiss placed on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, it's the end!  
> Thank you so so much for reading this story and I hope you liked it! I'd also like to apologize for all the mistakes. My English is enough to read, but definitely not to write. Anyways I'm really glad I decided to translate this fic. The amout of serotinine I've got from every kudo and every comment is incredible. I know I'm repeating myself, but thank you guys! If it wasn't for your support, I think it woul'd be finished yet or maybe I'd even dropped this story. So no words can express how grateful I'm to every person that decided to leave a kudo or write a comment.
> 
> Now, you may say: "But this ending kinda sucks". So I want to tell you that this isn't the last time when you've met our interdimenstional traveler. I want to write a sequel, but I can't tell when I'll start working on it. So the first chapter may appear next month or next year, who knows. But I really want to tell you the second part of this story. So please wait a bit longer c:


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